


Poth: Underfell: 30 day OTP Challenge

by findingmysolace



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:00:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 31,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29577876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/findingmysolace/pseuds/findingmysolace
Summary: Just your typical 30 day challenge with a (hopefully good) continuous plot
Relationships: Poth - Relationship, with a hint of dustberry here and there
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

The consistent beeps of his alarm clock woke him up, the owner slamming his hand on it harshly to get it to quiet down. He attempted to sit up, feeling a sharp pain in his lower abdomen rendered his attempt useless as he lied right back down. His hand wandered around on the dressing table, feeling around for his phone, and saw his flash light up the dark room in short bursts.  
'Who the hell is up this fuckin early?' His hand finally found his phone and he pulled it towards him, flinching at how bright his screen was.  
There were a few spam emails, a text from his dad about the shifts he has for reaping, and a snooze notification. He cleared those up, answering his father's text, and browsed through a few websites as he shopped online. Another burst of flash caught his attention and the text message popped up on his screen.  
'Wanna meet up for some lunch'  
Lotus cleared that notification up and grunted as he threw his phone onto the empty side of his bed, contemplating if he should even take up the offer. If had been anyone else, he would've taken that offer up in an instant, but it just had to be him. He took a few deep breaths, preparing himself for the rush of pain, and swung his legs over the edge in attempts to get up. He grunted pain radiated from his lower back, but stood up anyway, making his way to the bathroom slowly to clean up and prepare for the day. He had ran a warm bath, mixing in lavender scented epsom salt in hopes of relaxing his aching bones. He stripped down and looked at his reflection, the scratches from last night's shift were still slightly red as if they were fresh.  
'I've gotta stop doing this.' He scolded himself as he sunk into the bathtub, a sigh of relief escaping him as he felt the warm water soothe his magic.  
He heard his phone go off a few more times, ignoring those notifications as he unwinded. His mind had been preoccupied with making a finalized decision on whether or not he wanted to join him for lunch. It was bad enough that he had fallen hard for him and he didn't want it to get worse. He spent an hour just soaking in the warmth and massaging the pained bones before washing up and heading back into his room, a towel wrapped around his pelvis and one resting over his shoulders. He picked up his phone to find a spam of texts from him asking about his answer, earning a prolonged groan as he thought back to how he should answer this.  
'Fine. I'm only doing this for the free food.' He returned the text and waited for his response, which he was not disappointed to see it pop up a few seconds after.  
'See you at 2.' The winking emoticon that followed afterward earned a roll of his eyelight as he got ready. As much as he didn't want to go, he didn't have any other way of passing the time before he headed off to work, so he got dressed and headed out his apartment.  
A thought from the back of his mind tried to convince him that it maybe had something to do with the relationship they had as he made his way to where he was told to meet him up at. Lotus got to the restaurant first, just as he expected, and tapped his foot impatiently as he glared at his watch. He was on time for whatever Rurik had planned and wasn't surprised to find him not there.  
'People like us don't ever get together.'  
There was that thought again. No matter how hard he'll try, that thought won't ever allow itself to be pushed away and forgotten. He pulled out his phone from his pocket, hoping for just a text to put that thought to rest, but saw nothing on his screen. He unlocked it and pulled up his messages with Rurik. He didn't get the time wrong nor was he mistaken about where they were to meet up. He locked his phone home and shoved it into his pockets.  
'It was probably a stupid fucking joke.' He thought sourly, walking away with both hands stuffed deep into his pockets. 'Probably a set up. What was I thinking?'  
"Cupcake~" Lotus blushed deeply and darted his gaze upward to see just the skeleton he wanted to see.  
"Where the fuck were you? Why the hell did it take you so long and why am I even... here..." his words trailed off when he watched him present a bouquet of flowers with a rare genuine smile on his face.  
"For my cupcake~"  
His eyelight darted from the flowers to him, scoffing as he shrugged away from his gesture, screaming with joy mentally.  
"What the hell is this for?" He asked, overlooking the flowers again.  
"For you, my lovely." He purred Lotus's poor soul's pace quickening. "We've hung out for just a couple flings before and I want to change that." He held his hand out.  
He wanted to put his hand in his, where his soul believed it belonged, but he couldn't shake off the thought of it all being a sick joke. Lotus kept his hands in his pockets and gave him a skeptical glare.  
"What makes you think I'll believe all this shit now?" He inquired, Rurik's smug smile never fading.  
"Because," He took hold of his hand and interlocked their fingers, "I know exactly how you feel about me~"  
Lotus blushed more, if that was possible, and snatched his hand back, earning an incredulous look from him.  
"This is a new low, Rurik," Lotus mumbled. "Even for someone like you, this is fucking low."  
"It's low to love you back?" He asked, Lotus nodding. "Why?"  
"Because what we did was just for a fling. It wasn't meant to mean anything."  
"But it does, doesn't it?" Lotus could feel his face be engulfed in a bright lavender hue, hoping that Rurik doesn't notice. "It means something special to you."  
"But that didn't mean I asked you to reciprocate it, especially not now." He grumbled, taking a defiant step back so he could avoid any contact from him.  
Rurik's smirk returned when he caught sight of his glowing face and twirled the bouquet in his hand.  
"You didn't ask, yet it happened anyway~" he took a step closer as he held it out for him. "Give this a chance at least. No one has ever managed to keep my attention for as long as you have."  
"And what?" Lotus spat, rolling his eyelight as he turned down the flowers yet again. "Is that compliment supposed to suddenly change my mind?" Rurik shook his head, which surprised the smaller as he watched him take another half step forward and hand him the flowers.  
"It wasn't supposed to." He murmured lowly, Lotus focused on the careful movements of his hands. He took hold of it once more, this time holding his fingertips and pressing a chaste kiss against his knuckles. "I just wanted to give you something to think about." His gentle grip lingered for a quick second before dropping it with a soft smile. "If you want to, you know where to find me~" He shot a wink before turning and walking away.  
Lotus stared at the flowers in his hand, taking note of how he had managed to get his favorite flowers in the color he loved most.  
"H-Hey! Wait!" He called out, seeing that he stopped and looked over his shoulder. "You were buying me lunch!?" He saw that his shoulders shook and a smile decorated his face as he laughed, Lotus cocking a bone brow as he waited for him to come back, but was surprised to see him point to the flowers and walk off.  
He glanced back down at the bouquet and examined it fully to notice the envelope tied around it. He looked back up to find him gone and removed the envelope, finding a twenty-dollar bill tucked in it securely.  
'Why the fuck did he just-' he shook his head softly to get rid of that thought and headed back home.  
The memory of the kiss to his hand and the way he held it afterward played again and again until he approached his front door. He pulled his keys out and unlocked the door, stepping inside and setting the bouquet on the table to the side while he searched for a vase to put them in. He managed to find one tucked away in his room, heading back to the front to place them inside. While he messed with the arrangement of the flowers, a single thought occurred to him as he tried to find out how to answer properly.  
'What the hell is he playing at?'


	2. Cuddling Somewhere

"Did my portion of the list." Lotus set the scroll in front of his dad, the dusty scythe in his hands disappearing that instant. "Is there any other shifts you want me to cover or...?" His phone buzzing caught his attention and held onto it a few seconds longer than he had liked.  
"Nah. I got it from here. Thanks for the cover." Death said, snickering quietly as he saw his son's face fume the longer he stared at his phone. "Rurik again?"  
Lotus's head shot up, his face flushed heavily when he heard his father laugh.  
"How the hell-"  
"You think I don't know what's going on in your life?" Death laughed, Lotus trying his hardest to keep up the angry facade so that his father could leave him alone. "You know I'm gonna pester you until you actually answer me, right?" Lotus threw his head back and let out a prolonged groan as he heard him chuckle lightly. "So? What'd he do now?"  
He let out a defeated sigh and handed him his phone, the lock screen coming up as soon as it came into Death's hands. "He keeps sending wild ass texts and it makes no fuckin' sense!" Death laughed at the messages on display, causing his son to let out incoherent grumbles. "I just don't get what he's playing at and I'm fucking confused."  
"Just go with it." He advised, handing him his phone back as he found a new interest in the scroll of names. "Something good might happen."  
"Dad. It's fucking Underfell." Lotus deadpanned, his father shrugging in response. "What's the best-case scenario?"  
"You get laid." He answered distractedly, lotus letting out a huff as he crossed his arms over his chest.  
Death wasn't wrong. He was bound to get laid with the way he texted him all day. It all depended on the matter of did he want to be his toy again or not, and, after what transpired earlier, he wasn't sure if he wanted to see him tonight anyway.  
"Yeah... I guess..." Lotus mumbled, shoving his phone into his pocket as he thought about it, "see you tomorrow, dad." He ignored his father's small wave, too focused on summoning a portal to his house, and stepped through wordlessly.  
The gaping hole shut with a soft whirring noise, the crunching of the grass beneath his feet following shortly after as he made his way across his lawn to his door. The jingling of keys pierced through the silence and click of the lock earning him both a sigh of relief and a huff of frustration. He got inside, the flowers on the front table causing his previous neutral mood to turn sour, and tossed his keys beside it before heading toward the kitchen for a drink. He opened up the fridge and grabbed a water bottle, chugging down the entirety of it and tossing the bottle away. He cleared his pockets, his wallet and phone now resting on the countertop, and he removed his cloak in attempt to relax. His phone buzzed to life. The flashlight on his phone lit up in short bursts every few seconds, Lotus glancing over to see the caller ID. A grunt of annoyance left him when he saw that it was none other than the monster he was attempting to avoid for the rest of the day. He almost started a brief debate on whether or not he should pick it up if it hadn't been for his hands acting on its own. He answered the call and held the phone up to the side of his skull, silently waiting for him to say something.  
"Cupcake, you there?" Lotus was taken back by this. He sounded so unsure, worried as if he was on the verge of a panic attack if he hadn't picked up later. This wasn't like Rurik at all.  
"Y-Yeah. It's hella late, but I'm here. What's wrong?" He stumbled over the shock of it all and heard him take a heavy gulp before he continued the conversation. "Rurik?"  
"Can I come over?" Lotus was beyond confused. He sounded more scared than worried. "P-Please?"  
Lotus's jaw dropped at the sound of his plea and nodded automatically, "y-yeah, o-of course."  
"T-Thanks." He mumbled, the call hanging up after the sound of keys jingling was heard on Lotus's side.  
The young reaper set his phone back on the countertop and shut his sockets, his palms pressing into them as he took deep breaths. He was preparing himself to either comfort his friend or be his sex doll for the night, Lotus hoping that it was the first instead of the latter. The doorbell ring not too long after his brief meditation and he answered just as quickly, revealing an obviously shaken Rurik with a pillow pressed into his chest as if it was the only sense of comfort he had.  
"T-Thanks for l-letting me-" Lotus cut him off by tugging him inside, shutting the door behind the two as he lead him over to the couches.  
"Don't worry about it. Lemme grab some blankets for us." Rurik nodded slowly and brought his knees to his chest.  
Lotus had no idea what possessed him, but, in that moment, he didn't see the narcissistic soldier that wanted a decent lay. Instead, he saw his best friend going through another night terror episode and trusted him to get him through it all. He tossed off his red turtleneck shirt, revealing the black tank top beneath it, and replaced his long skinny jeans with a pair of loose shorts. He grabbed hold of a few blankets and pillows from his room and headed back into the living room, decorating the couch with his gathered supplies.  
"Hope the couch is cool with you." He mumbled lowly as he draped a blanket over him.  
"W-Will- Ca-Can you stay with me?" Lotus stopped fluffing the pillows and looked his way, cocking a bone brow in suspicion. "N-Never mind," Rurik muttered, returning his focus on the blank tv ahead.  
"Hey. I'm not complaining." Lotus sunk into the seat beside him. "Wanna watch something to get your mind off it?" Rurik nodded wordlessly and watched the tv switch on, the brightness adjusting to the darkness of the room. "What'd you have in mind?"  
Rurik didn't respond, only wrapping his blanketed arms around Lotus's slim shoulders and pulling him closer to him.  
"You can't die, right?" Lotus shrugged, not trusting himself to answer without stuttering. "P-Please-" He hummed lowly as he pressed himself into the smaller's neck. "-Please don't leave me."  
"I-I won't. I couldn't." Lotus breathed, leaning into his gentle hold as he felt the blanket come and cocoon around him as well. "What happened?"  
Rurik shook his head and buried his face into the back of Lotus's neck, pulling him into his lap in the process.  
"C-Can I explain tomorrow?" He pleaded quietly, the other nodding as he listened to his attempts to even out his breathing. "T-Thank you." Rurik's sockets dropped, fluttering shut as he held Lotus closer to himself.  
"I-It's no-" A soft snore cut him off, Lotus turning his head slightly to find him passed out against him, and laughed quietly, "-problem." He tried to move in his grip, feeling it tighten, and rolled his eyelight playfully. "What am I gonna do with you?" He murmured while adjusting his position in the small space he had to work with.  
He carefully guided his head to the pillows he had set up, watching Rurik get himself situated in his sleep, and pressed himself against his chest. His arms wrapped around him again, one serving as a pillow for the smaller while the other was thrown over his chest in a protective hold. Lotus felt his soul swell when he was pulled impossibly closer, a small smile working its way onto his face. He rested his head against his chest, allowing himself to relax into his hold, finally falling asleep.


	3. Watching a movie

Lotus's phone went off the next morning, annoying the owner as he tossed himself over to get further away from the noise.  
"Shut it off." Lotus's sockets shot open when he heard that faint growl and ended up toppling off the couch, his head jolting up to find Rurik rubbing the sleep out of his sockets. "Why you gotta wake up so damn early?" He yawned.  
"I forgot you spent the night," Lotus grumbled, pinching his nasal bone while his other hand gripped the coffee table to help hoist him up to his feet. "I would've turned it off if I knew I had guests over." A moment of silence fell between the two, Lotus still on the floor while Rurik worked on waking up his other socket. "What was last night about anyway?" He inquired, a soft huff leaving him as he stood up. He saw Rurik's gaze shift from him to the ground, his eyelights vanished as he thought about the night before. "If you don't mind me asking that is." He added hurriedly. "I don't have to-"  
"N-No. I trust you." Lotus's tense facial features relaxed upon hearing that confession, a soft purple coloring his cheekbones the longer he replayed those words in his head. "It was just some flashbacks from my time during the war." A heavy sigh left the smaller as he slapped his forehead gently.  
"Rurik, are you serious-" he wasn't allowed to finish that thought, Rurik interrupting him with no hesitation.  
"Fuck you mean by that?!" He shouted, Lotus taken back by his sudden tone of voice. "I-I watched everyone die right before my eyes and I-I couldn't do shit about it! I couldn't even go back and call a fucking medic!" Lotus's eyelight widened when he explained, about to open his mouth to apologize for being so insensitive, but was beat to it by a grunt from Rurik. "What fuckin' ever. Just drop this shit and pretend like it never happened."  
Lotus lowered his gaze, his thoughts giving himself the hardest time for the events that just transpired, and stood up from where he was seated.  
"Want breakfast?" He asked in hopes of getting the atmosphere from last night back.  
"Sure." He stretched his arms up high, a high-pitched groan rumbling from his throat as he lied back to stretch the joints out farther.  
Lotus headed over to the kitchen, throwing open a few cabinets and skimming the contents in hopes of something good.  
"Pancakes sound good?" He asked aloud, not really waiting for a response as he pulled out the pre-made box.  
"Sure." Lotus nodded lightly as he poured out what he believed was enough mix for both, hearing the tv turn on and channels are flipped as he whisked together the batter.  
"What movie you wanna watch?" Rurik asked offhandedly as he absentmindedly scrolled through the various titles.  
"Anything honestly. Just nothing cheesy as fuck." Lotus answered while creating small circles of batter on the frying pan.  
"Horror?"  
"Thriller, if there isn't anything good." The sound of flipping pancakes followed shortly after his answer.  
"Before I Wake sounds like it's aight." He called out, glancing over to watched Lotus load up the plate with four freshly made pancakes. "Wanna see if it's any good?"  
"Sure. I'm down." Soon, the next batch was ready to join the previous one on the plate, another following shortly after.  
He drizzled the maple syrup over the two stacks he had made, resting a small slice of butter atop both as he accented the side with a variety of berries, and brought it over to the coffee table.  
"Shit~" he whistled lowly as he took in his meal. "This looks so damn good."  
Lotus chuckled, stealing the seat beside Rurik as he handed him a fork, "Hopefully it tastes as good as it looks." He laughs.  
Rurik beat him to it and took the first bite, letting out a delighted mom as he bit into the fluffy meal.  
"This is some good shit!" He cheered, Lotus boring back his laugh as he handed him a napkin.  
"You know before I couldn't believe you and Palette were twins, but now I'm seeing some resemblance." He teased, Rurik rolling his starry eyelights as he wiped away the crumbs from his face.  
"Whatever." He shoved him lightly and pressed play, reclining back into the couch. He threw his free arm over the couch cushions and tossed a sly glance over at Lotus, snickering when he saw his face flush. "Come on. It's not like we haven't done shit like this before~" he cooed, satisfied to find the smaller's face glowing brighter.  
"W-We haven't, though." He mumbled, ducking his head low as a replacement for the absence of his scarf.  
"Well~ We might as well try~" he purred, resting his arm over his slim shoulders and pulling him closer towards himself.  
He found no resistance from him, the opposite of that in fact. Lotus pressed himself into his side, one of his arms draped over his front while the other circled around back to engulf him in a hug. A quiet sigh of content escaped them both as the movie finally started. They watched silently, Rurik occasionally feeding the two as the movie dragged on. The pair met the monster of the movie, a tall, bone skinny, pasty white monster making his way down the hall to attack the woman it was after.  
"This movie has so much potential going to waste." Rurik hummed in agreement and Lotus gestured to the screen in annoyance. "I look like that shit in the morning! How's that supposed to be scary?" This earned the young reaper a hearty laugh, Lotus smiling softly as he heard him try to calm down. "Shush! I'm trying to watch." He hissed teasingly, Rurik shaking his head lightly as he rested his head against Lotus.  
A silence settled over the two, watching the movie as it neared its end. The orphanage workers were racked to the wall by the monster's webs, Rurik making a few dirty jokes about where those could've come from and each joke earned him a sharp jab to the ribs by Lotus. The movie came close to finishing, but Lotus shut it off early.  
"Are you fucking shitting me?!" Lotus flung out of his grasp and threw the remote to the other couch after the explanation. "This shit movie was all a dumbass euphemism for cancer?!" His outburst had Rurik dead, laughing so hard he had to clutch his nonexistent gut. "I wasted an hour and a half to find out his mom died of cancer and that he fucking read kanker instead?! Fuck this movie! Negative thirty stars outta five! All that potential gone to fucking waste!" He huffed, crossing his arms in frustration as he stared the blank television screen down.  
Rurik eventually calmed down from it all, a few giggles escaping him as he came to a stop.  
"Sorry we-" He snickered and took a deep breath to relax, "we had to watch that. I thought it'd be good." He offered, Lotus rolling his eyelight.  
"It would've been." He pouted. "So many dumbass directors and fuck up actors." Rurik chuckled, stretching lightly as he glanced over at the clock.  
"Damn noon already?" Lotus looking up to his wall clock to confirm it. "I gotta head to work." He stood up from the couch, Lotus right behind him as he followed him to the door.  
Lotus unlocked the doors for him, watching him step outside.  
"Hey, Rurik?" He was surprised to see him turn around on his heel that instant, hearing him hum quietly as he urged him to continue. "Sorry about being a dick earlier." Rurik cocked his head to the side as he waited for him to go on. "I'm a reaper so I'm around dead bodies all the time and-"  
"Don't worry about it. Like I said, forget it happened." He blew it off, Lotus opening his mouth to say something only to get cut off once again. "It was just a dream anyway."  
"But still I-" His words were interrupted when Rurik suddenly leaned against the door frame, his arms crossed, and what looked like a genuine smile on his face.  
"How about I take you out tonight?" Lotus shot an incredulous look at the change in topics and cocked a bone brow.  
"What?" He copied the taller's gesture and prepared himself for whatever explanation he had.  
"A night on the town. Maybe it'll take your mind off such a shitty movie~" He explained, the shrug at the end confusing Lotus.  
'What does that have to do with me being a dick?!' He thought as he tried to figure out how to answer. He wanted to answer with 'yes' right away but had to consider weighing his options, especially after everything that took place yesterday. Maybe get a second opinion on it to make sure he wasn't giving him too big of a chance.  
"I-I'll have to see." He grabbed hold of the door handle. "I'll text you if I can make it."  
"Alright. I'll give you all the details during my break." With that said, he teleported out, leaving the reaper to his thinking.  
'If I give him the chance, are things going to stay this way?' He thought sadly as he shut the door, pulling out his phone to make a call.  
He definitely wants a second opinion on this situation.


	4. On a date

The young reaper drummed his fingers against the armrest along to the dialing tone of his phone. The call picked up on the last ring and he scrambled to respond.  
"Hey! Haven't heard from you in forever!" He heard his cheery cousin's voice and let out a heavy sigh. "You okay?"  
"Remember Rurik?" He asked, hearing an affirming hum and he continued. "He just asked me out."  
"Aww, that's so cute!" He gushed, Lotus rolling his eyelight in annoyance.  
"Goth, there was nothing between us before! You know that, right?" He asked, hearing another hum of confirmation. "So you know it's not as 'cute' as you're making it out to be."  
"I dunno. It's still kinda-" His words were cut off by a sudden door slam, a soft 'oof' leaving him as Lotus listened to someone come crashing down on him.  
"Hi, Gothy!" Lotus recognized that voice immediately, a sly smirk on his face when he heard him pull Goth in for a quick kiss. "Who's on the phone?"  
"See for yourself." Lotus snickered at their dynamic and prepared himself for whatever list of questions he'll get.  
The phone was handed over, Lotus hearing the two bicker playfully as Palette went to say something. "Hey, starry eyes." He joked, a gasp ringing clear from the other side.  
"Pepper! How are you?! How's the Fell sector? Do you miss us? Are you coming over? You should come spend the weekend with us!" Another gasp rang clear, Lotus pulling the phone away from him to hear him continue his questions.  
"Relax, star eyes. I'll try to answer your questions, but my memory's kinda-" Lotus stopped talking when his phone rang, the message taking up the middle section of the screen.  
'Meet me at Flamethrowers Grill at 6. Dress nice.'  
"Pepper?" Palette called out, Lotus more focus on how to respond to that message. Was it better to wait or respond immediately?  
"Here let me see." Goth got the phone back and called out to Lotus, the reaper blinking a few times.  
"Yeah?"  
"What happened?" He inquired. Lotus could only let out a huff and close out the message notification.  
"Rurik texted me the restaurant and time he asked me to meet him at for our 'date'." The last word dropped with sarcasm, that tone dying over Palette's head as he gushed about how cute they'd be together.  
"Well? Respond! Take him up on the offer!" Goth encouraged, Lotus lolling his head back in annoyance.  
"And look desperate? I'll pass. What if this is a shit attempt to get a decent lay?" He heard the line go quiet, Goth's breathing letting him know he's still there. "That's what I-"  
"And what if it isn't?" Lotus opened his mouth to unleash a witty retort, but Goth beat him to it. "What if he actually wants to have a stable relationship with you, one not based on a decent fuck every week or so?" Lotus snickered when he heard Palette inhale sharply at the swear word used.  
"That's a risky what if, and you know it." Lotus huffed as he reclined into his couch.  
"Where did he say?" Goth questioned, Lotus going onto his messages and taking a screenshot.  
"There. Sent you exactly what he's messaged me, both from yesterday and this morning." He sent it his cousin's way and gave him a few seconds to skim through the conversation. "Still think he's trying to be serious?"  
"I dunno. He sounds like he's really trying." Goth answered honestly, Lotus dreading to hear that. "Just answer back saying you'll see him there and show up a few minutes late. If he's waiting for you still, he really wants this to work out with you." Lotus groaned loudly and slumped into his seat, hearing Goth laugh quietly.  
"Fine. I'll do this." He grunted, going back on his messages and responding.  
'Kk meet you there.' He sent that, Rurik's response, not a second layer ham his own.  
'I'd love to see how you dressed up for me.' Lotus rolled his eyelight for the umpteenth time that day and returned to his call, letting Goth know he did it.  
"You won't regret this, Lotus. Trust me."  
"You're lucky that I go to you for your optimism," Lotus mumbled, a smile slowly forming on his face as he came to terms with what he had done.  
"Gotta thank Palette for that." He joshed. "Speaking of which, you still gotta answer his questions." Lotus laughed and asked for the phone to be handed to him.  
"Now. What'd you ask?" Lotus requested humorously, Palette already firing off question after question while Lotus tried to keep up.  
Half an hour passed by as Lotus tended to all of his questions. He was glad he got him to stop functioning at a million miles per minute and managed to answer every single one without having to repeat himself more than three times, a new record for Palette. He takes after Ink's short-term memory whenever he has to remember long lists. The call hung up after a cheerful goodbye. Lotus let out a sigh, this time in relief, as he stood up from his couch and headed into his room. Rurik did say it was a nice place, so he had to look the best he could as modestly as possible. He skimmed through his closet, humming softly to an old tune as he made his decision. Most of his closet contained black hoodies, a few pairs of black skinny jeans, various dark-colored shirts, and two pairs of red, almost maroon, boots.  
'Fuck. What am I gonna wear?!' He thought as he pushed through those choices, hoping for something hiding in plain sight.  
"Where the fuck-" he tugged on the hanger and pulled out a flowy long-sleeved mulberry colored dress.  
The torso was shimmering gold silk with small leaf patterns branching all throughout, the belt around the waist being the color of the skirt with horizontal lines of gold.  
"When did I even buy this?" He held it in front of him and observed his reflection, not surprised that it was in his size. "Maybe Goth left it here last time he stayed over." He chalked it up to that reason and headed to his bathroom, drawing up a warm bath in hopes of being less anxious for the date that's to come.  
He picked up his phone and dialed Goth again, drumming his fingers against the sink top as he waited for him to pick up.  
"Wow. Two calls in a day? I should probably go get a lottery card." Goth teased, Lotus laughing as he shook his head.  
"I'll go back to ignoring you for a millennia after this." He heard Goth snicker and continued to talk. "Did you leave one of your dresses here? The gold and really dark purple one?"  
"Oh yeah! I actually bought that one for you after I saw your closet." Lotus let out a prolonged groan and Goth laughed at that. "You might wanna summon a female body when you wear that. It'll look better."  
"How are you so damn sure that I'm going to resort to wearing that?"  
"Because you wouldn't have called me about if you didn't consider it." Lotus could basically hear the smirk as he spoke. "Trust me. If you want a relationship as much as he does, wearing that is your best chance."  
"Ho-"  
"If you wore something casual, you're basically asking for a one-night stand." Goth deadpanned. "Think about it, please." Lotus heard him celebrate as he let out a defeated sigh and agreed. "There should be some heels under the sink that you should try."  
Lotus yanked open the cabinet doors and, true to his word, there were the gold heels that complimented his dress.  
"You're really pushing your luck, Goth," Lotus grumbled as he pulled them out for a closer look.  
"You won't regret it though! Have fun!~" The call hung up soon after, leaving Lotus alone again.  
He played calming music over his phone, looking through the drawers for a lavender bath bomb. He eventually found one, setting on the marble sink top as he undressed, and tossed it in once he was fully unclothed. He carefully dipped in, exhaling slowly as he sunk to the bottom, and relaxed against the curvature of the tub. He pushed the fizzing bath bomb too and fro, watching it dissolve into the water as it moved along. He soaked in there a few minutes longer, taking in the calming atmosphere before climbing out and wrapping a towel around his pelvis. He pulled the plug off the drain, listening to the water rush down as he dried himself off. He glanced back over at the dress and put in on, rolling his eyelight when he saw that it droop over his frame.  
"Guess I'll end up having to." He grumbled, summoning a female ectobody to fit the mold of the dress.  
He took the dark purple scarf it came with and draped it over his shoulders, wrapping it in such a way that it formed a hood.  
"It's not like my cloak, but it'll do for tonight." He mumbled to himself, taking one last longing look into the full body mirror.  
He took a deep breath, slipping into the heels to find it surprisingly comfortable, and grabbed hold of his phone, heading out the bathroom. He walked through his living room, a flinch accompanying each click of the heels as he surveyed the room.  
'Stove? Off. Lights? Off. Keys? Check. Phone? Check. Anxiety? A shit ton. Doubt? More than necessary.' He stopped his mental checklist before it becomes more self-deprecating when he got to the front door.  
He turned the knob, stepped into the cool night, and locked his door behind him before making his way to his car. The doors unlocked as soon as he slipped his hand into the handle, yanking it open and taking a seat inside. He went to close the door and frowned, the dress still pouring out the door.  
"Stupid fuckin' Goth and his stupid ideas." He grumbled as he pulled it in and tried to get it situated before actually driving off. "Why do I fucking listen to the kid?" A question he'll never be able to answer.  
He backed out the driveway and drove off, the GPS guiding him through the various streets to get him to the grill. He pulled up to the parking lot, finding a valet out there waving to him. He rolled his window down to reject his offer but was surprised to hear his first words to him not be anything related to getting him to the valet.  
"Mister Rurik has reserved a spot for you, Mister Lotus." He pointed over to the reserved spot and guided him to it, Lotus following with a bone brow raised in intrigue.  
He parked, opening the door to find the man who guided him standing before him with a hand stretched out for him to take, which he hesitantly did. He climbed out of the car, the skirt flailing to the ground, and his door was shut behind him. He locked his car, taking his hand back from the man, and nodded his head as thanks before heading inside. His nervousness flared up when he saw Rurik pacing the main lobby, his soul stopping when he saw him make eye contact.  
"You look... your dress... I mean you just... wow." Rurik attempted to compliment him, his sputters earning him the sight of the smaller's cheekbones flushing softly. "You look incredible."  
"Sorry, I'm late. I was-" he gestured to his attire in hopes that it'd explain itself.  
"Don't worry about it. I'm just-" He hesitated, a hand resting on the back of his neck as he let out a nervous chuckle, "-I'm just glad you decided to give me a chance." Lotus was so close to giving a snide remark, holding his tongue when he recalled Goth's words from his earlier phone call.  
"I wouldn't want to be unfair. You asked and here I am." Lotus reassured, holding his hand out boldly. "Mind showing me where our table is?"  
Rurik flashed a smile, intertwining his fingers with his own, and lead him to their table. Lotus followed behind weakly, still unused to the small caring gesture being shown in public casually. His focus shifted when they came to a stop and Lotus was surprised at their seating arrangement. It was a center table, a water fountain beside them, as an elegant vase of roses decorated the center. He pressed a chaste kiss against the back of his hand before letting it go to pull out his chair for him. Lotus gave him a soft smile and took his seat, feeling the chair move forward to be tucked under the table. Rurik walked around and took his seat across from him.  
"This place is beautiful." Lotus took in the quiet classical music and chandeliers that decorated the ceiling.  
"It is now that you're here." Lotus was about to give a sarcastic retort but was silenced when a waiter approached their table.  
"Are you both ready?" He asked merrily, Lotus skimming through the menu before glancing up to find Rurik already have his gaze fixed on him.  
"I'll take the soltani kabob." He handed him his menu after ordering. "Mind if we can get some hummus and naan bread?"  
The waiter nodded, now turning to Lotus to get his order. He freaked out, pointing to a random meal listed on the menu, and handed it over with his sights set on the silverware wrapped in its napkin's confinement. The waiter told them a time their meals would be ready, that number going over his head as he obsessed over his little mistake. He failed to hear their waiter leave, the sound of Rurik clearing his throat ringing clearly.  
"Hey. It's okay, relax." Rurik murmured across the table, Lotus's head darting up to him. "It's just me."  
"That's kinda why I am freaking out." He admitted, his hands clamping and unclamping in anticipation.  
"What do you mean? We aren't strangers."  
"We aren't exactly great friends either," Lotus muttered under his breath, Rurik's reassuring smile faltering.  
"Y-Yeah." He coughed awkwardly, Lotus sparing him a side glance to let him know he wasn't going ignored. "B-But that's why I wanted to treat you to dinner." Lotus raised his bone brow, clearly unamused by his answer. "N-Not like that. I-I just meant- I wanted to- fuck how am I supposed to say it?"  
He watched with a neutral expression, crossing his arms over his chest as his retired soldier tried to explain himself. If he was being honest, he wished Rurik would've come with his thoughts collected. He wanted to know if he's really going through all this trouble for a potential relationship and not another one-night stand, but he couldn't deny that he didn't find him adorable as he tried to explain. This was the hidden side, the real side, of the monster he's come to love, even if it did get its spotlight for a brief moment.  
"Rurik, I-"  
"Here are your meals." The waiter carefully set the two plates in front of them, their preferred drinks resting to the right, and set the hummus and bread between the two to share. "If there's anything you need, let me know." He took off once again, leaving the pair to their food.  
Rurik didn't waste a second to dive into his food, eating as properly as he could. Lotus could only stare his plate down.  
'It's fucking huge! That kabob looks like it'll last me two days instead of one. How am I even supposed to-' a phone buzzed to life, knocking off his train of thought as he looked over at Rurik expectantly.  
"That's not my phone."  
Lotus flipped his phone over in his lap and saw a message from Goth, picking it up to answer him.  
'Aren't you going to eat? Rurik's going to town with his plate.' Lotus tilted his head in confusion as he began scanning the room. Another buzz caught his attention, this time it being the direction for him to spot him across the restaurant.  
'What are you doing here?!' Lotus responded, giving Goth a glare as he texted him and ignoring Rurik's questions of who it was.  
'Helping you with your date! Now compliment him!' Lotus took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself down from his cousin's shenanigans.  
'Fuck off, will ya? I'm not gonna say anything to the bastard until I know this isn't a fucking act. Now back off.' He sent his response, about to put his phone away when he saw another message pop up immediately after.  
'Language!' That single word fueled his anger and he glared at their table.  
He saw Palette's head whip around. Lotus pinched his nasal bone in frustration as he began to wave to him.  
"What's wrong?" His eyelight snapped up when he heard that, meet a pair of worried ones for the second time this week. "Did you want something else? I can get the waiter back if you-" Rurik about to turn around to see where the waiter had gone, his attention back to the reaper when he grabbed hold of his hand from across the table.  
"N-No. I'm good." He picked up his spoon with his free hand and took in a bite of rice, a delighted smile on his face as he swallowed. "This is delicious." A wave of relief washed over him and he returned the loving gesture, chuckling when he saw a light purple flash onto his face.  
"I'm glad you like it." Their meal dragged on in silence, Rurik nearing the end of his food while Lotus was only halfway through while poking and prodding the grilled tomato on the side. His thoughts from earlier nagged at him, his hunger no longer present and a queasy feeling burying itself deep within his nonexistent gut.  
"You okay? The tomato didn't do anything wrong, you know." Rurik teased, his laughter cut short by one sharp glance.  
"Rurik, I want to know your in-"  
"Complimentary dessert."  
'That's some real ass karma right there. Life just wants me to fuck up hard.' Lotus thought as their waiter set a bowl of sorbet between the two, thin vermicelli-sized noodles topping it as the red syrup oozed down.  
"Complimentary?" Lotus restated, looking up from the dessert to Rurik, who was equally as confused as he was.  
"A customer had ordered it to be delivered..." the waiter's voice went on, Lotus more focused on the couple that was waving to him with thumbs up as if it were encouraging and not completely embarrassing.  
"Well alright then." Lotus snapped back and listened to Rurik speak. "I guess we'll take it. Good karma, amiright?" Rurik pulled out his wallet. "Give that table this tip, if you could." He slid a twenty his way, the waiter disappearing with it. "Free dessert?" He picked up the spoon and held it up for Lotus to take the first bite.  
Lotus's stomach churned as he opened his mouth, seeing Goth and Palette both leave their table and head his way, and accepted the bite.  
'I swear to fuckin' god if you both do something even mildly stupid, I'm ripping your heads off.' He threatened mentally as if they could read his thoughts and back away.  
He swallowed and was presented another spoonful after Rurik had taken his bite. Lotus was about to take it when Palette had accidentally bumped into their table, more precisely into Rurik. In turn, it caused the spoon to waiver in his grasp and fall onto the table, the sorbet on the spoon splattering over the pair. Lotus glared at the two, both flashing a sheepish smile as Palette grabbed hold of Goth's hand and ran out before they had a chance to get caught.  
"Whoops. Sorry guys!" The pair hurried out to avoid being confronted by Rurik, who was now shouting all kinds of insults at them.  
"The nerve of those damn people, I swear to fuckin' god." He grumbled, heading over to Lotus's side with a wet napkin. "Here. Let me-"  
"Rurik, this isn't gonna-" He stopped mid-sentence and took a deep breath. "Let's just leave."  
Rurik opened his mouth to say something, hesitating a bit when he saw Lotus's gaze drop, and shut it soon after, nodding wordlessly as he placed two hundred dollars on the table.  
He offered him his hand and Lotus shook his head softly in response, all eyes on them as they made their way out the restaurant silently. He looked over at his potential partner, seeing him lost in thought, and shook his head at his actions as he got closer to his car.  
'Shouldn't have said it like that.'


	5. Kissing

Rurik held the door open, Lotus too focused on getting the stain out to notice. He got to his car with the majority of the stain gone, only leaving behind a few faint splotches, and unlocked the doors. Rurik went to open it only to be beat by his date and watched him climb into the driver's seat and slam the door shut behind him.  
'Why'd they have to show up?! It's not like-' his phone began to buzz, an annoyed grunt leaving Lotus as he slid to answer it and placed the call on speaker.  
"I'm sorry! We didn't mean to mess up you-"  
"Save it." He hissed, Goth going silent on the other side. "This shit was actually important. It could've actually got me out of this fuck buddy zone Rurik has going on in his head and you guys couldn't stay as far away as possible!"  
"I didn't think Palette would've bumped into you." He tried to defend, earning a roll of his eyelight and a scoff.  
"Didn't think? We were in a fancy-ass establishment! You gotta think a million steps ahead at those kinda places, Goth." He scolded, hearing another apology, this time it being muffled, probably by his trademark red scarf. Lotus let out a heavy sigh and leaned his head onto the steering wheel. "What am I gonna now?"  
"The night's still young?" Lotus hummed in response, letting them know he was willing to hear them out on this one. "You guys don't have to end the date there. Where's Rurik?"  
Lotus shot a quick glance up to find him punching at the rough exterior of the restaurant and laughed softly.  
"Punching a wall." Another soft chuckle leaving him when he heard them wince lightly.  
"See if he has anything else in mind. Maybe the date could still be salvaged." Lotus thought about any possible scenario that could turn sour by the end of the night, being pleasantly surprised when he couldn't find any.  
'Normally, Palette has some wild nonsensical idea and be too blinded by positivity to see it fail, but this one could actually work.'  
"That might work," Lotus mumbled to himself, hearing them a sigh of relief leave them both. "You have to get this dress cleaned though. I got out what I could, but the red stain still there."  
"No problem! I could do that easily!" Goth defended, his voice going back to normal. "Is all forgiven?"  
Lotus laughed and shook his head at his request. "If my date ends well, then yes."  
"Well then. I won't keep you waiting! Bye!" Goth cheered, Lotus returning the budding.  
"Good luck!" Palette added, Lotus nodding as he hung up.  
"I'm definitely gonna need it." He muttered as he threw his phone into the cup holder, starting his car up and backing out his reserved spot.  
He backed out and drove a bit forward, stopping to turn his lights on and look over to find Rurik leaned against the wall he was abusing to light up the cigarette hanging from his mouth.  
'By the Gods, please hope this works.' He prayed, letting out a heavy breath while rolling down the windows.  
"You coming?" He saw his head dart up quick and the cigarette fall to the ground, holding back the laughter he felt bubble within him.  
He jogged up to his car, hunching over and resting his arm above it so that he could talk comfortably through the open window.  
"You sure you want me to come with?" Lotus rolled his eyelight as he listened to his ramble about the incident, unlocking the door and swinging it open to hit his kneecaps lightly.  
"It's not your fault. I still had a great dinner, regardless of those dicks that bumped into us." Rurik glanced around and hopped into the front seat, Lotus catching a glimpse of his genuine smile as he buckled up. "Where to?"  
"I want this night to be about you. Where do you wanna go?"  
"Since when did you get this fluffy and shit?" Lotus teased as revved his engines.  
"When I decided that I actually need you in my life." He gave his answer nonchalantly, not giving the other the chance to speak as he rose the question again. "So where'd you want to go?" Lotus shrugged, driving out of the parking lot to come to a halt at a red light. "Wanna play 5-2-1?"  
Lotus laughed at his suggestion, Rurik snickering along, "We haven't done that shit for years."  
"We were friends before anything."  
"Best friends," Lotus added, thinking of the first five places that came to his mind. "We have either my place, your place, the park, the beach, aaaaaand..." Lotus hummed as he tried to think of a fifth, shrugging it off when he couldn't think of any other place that'd be open for a few more hours.  
"So we're knocking it down to 4-2-1?" He teased, Lotus nodding along to his words. "Alright. We aren't doing any of our places. So either the beach or the park, whatever you into."  
"Is the park okay? I don't really mind going to either, but I don't have beach attire on me and I really don't want to ruin this dress." Rurik dismisses his reasoning with a wave of his hand, leaning back into his seat as he relaxed.  
"I did say all about you, love~" a dull purple hue lit up his face as he tried to concentrate on driving instead of the warm feeling blooming throughout his body.  
Lotus came to a stop at another light, drumming his fingers mind against the steering wheel along with the music. His attention turned to the car on his left, who was revving his engine obnoxiously and gesturing to the road ahead. Rurik sat up straight and looked over, a low growl leaving him when he saw the way he was eyeing his date. Lotus definitely noticed his obviously upset partner and directed his attention back to him, about to say something to comfort him when he heard a low whistle from the other car. His head whipped around and he revved his engine, focusing on the stoplight ahead of them. He rolled his hood down and flipped off the other driver.  
"Eat shit!" He yelled, the light turning green immediately after and Lotus took off.  
He turned up his music, the heavy beat drops loud enough for anyone to hear and flashed a confident smile as he passed through two more green lights, even running a red if it meant that he'd win the spontaneous race. He glanced over to see Rurik laughing at the person they left in the dust. He soon made a right turn and then a left, pulling into the park's empty parking lot.  
"Nice to know you ditched that screamo stuff." Rurik swung his door open, stepping out into the cool air as Lotus removed his heels.  
"Hey, shut the fuck up. I still listen to that shit and I'll have you know that it's the best shit on this planet." He defended jokingly, locking his car behind him as they passed under the iron arch. "It feels like forever since I've been here."  
"Really?" Lotus nodded and headed to the swings, taking a seat on one of them. "I'm usually here every week."  
"Are you serious?" Rurik nodded, walking to stand behind Lotus. "How come you never told me?" He felt his hands come down the chains and rest atop him, engulfing them in a comfortable embrace.  
"It's whenever I couldn't sleep. I didn't want to bother you since I know you have shifts to take up and whatnot." He pulled the swing back a bit before letting go, watching him move forward before coming back to him slowly.  
"You could show up at my place at three in the damn morning and I wouldn't care if it means you're alright." Rurik kept up with his gentle pushes, Lotus not far from him anytime the swing moved forward.  
"Aw didn't know you cared that much." He teased, giving one more weak push before taking a seat in the one beside him. "I'll keep that in mind for next time." Their conversation fell mute, the groans of the swing as it moved echoing throughout the silent playground.  
"Rurik?" He let out a hum and rested his head on the chain of the swing, showing him that he had his undivided attention. "Why are you doing this?"  
"Doing what?" He glanced down to see if there were any imperfections to what he was doing.  
"All this. This date." The reaper let out a sigh, clutching the chains of he swing tightly as if it would help him word his next thoughts. "If you're looking for a quick fuck or get some kind of sick pleasure from crushing my hopes, you-"  
"That's not it." Lotus glanced over, finding him in the same position as before but not as lax. "I was hoping that I'd figure out if you still felt the same if we went on this dinner date kinda thing, but that shit had to get ruined too."  
"Too? What'd you already fuck up?" Lotus scoffed, Rurik's gaze set on his clamping and unclamping hands.  
"This date." Lotus opened his mouth to interject, but Rurik beat him to it to explain his point further. "If I made you I think that I was only in it for anything but the reason I came here with, then I fucked up. That wasn't what I wanted."  
"Then what do you want?" His swing came to a standstill, the tension between the two suffocating the longer it stayed quiet.  
A sharp squeak cut through the thickening silence, Rurik walking over and kneeling before Lotus, his hand cupping the side of his face.  
"I want to love you." He mumbled as if his words were sacred and meant for only him. "I want to love you, hold you close, show everyone that you're mine and I'm yours and yours alone. I want to be there for you like you always were for me." Lotus's soul stopped as he took what he said into consideration. "If that's okay with you."  
'He wants to be in a relationship!? He wants what I've always wanted!' His thoughts celebrated this news, his soul skipping multiple beats as he leaned forward a little more.  
"Y-You are serious, right?" Rurik gave a slow nod, his thumb carefully brushing the underside of his socket calmly.  
"More serious than I've ever been about anything. I don't want anyone else anymore. I'm tired of bouncing from one person to the next. I want a place where I belong, someone to come home to. I want you, Cupcake." He would usually scold him for using that nickname in public, knowing his intention behind it every time, but it wasn't like that this time. His calm voice spoke that word so lovingly, causing the smaller's senses to succumb to the warm feeling that buzzed through him. "That is, if you'd like to have me as well." Lotus couldn't say anything, the lump in his throat prominent as he tried to hold himself back from crying. He moved forward, falling off the swing and tackling him onto the rubber ground beneath them.  
"Y-You have no damn clue how long I've w-waited for this." He choked, tears flooding from his sockets and he hugged him tightly.  
'This has got to be a dream. There's no way this is possible.' He thought as he buried himself deep into his chest, listening to his soft laughter rumble from within his chest, and hoisted him up to meet his gaze.  
"I love you, Lotus~" He cooed, Lotus nodding as he wiped his tears away with a quick brush of his hand. "I love you more than words can describe~"  
"I-I love you too!" He could've sworn he saw his starry eyelights glow brighter at his confession, definitely catching the small hearts in them.  
Rurik let out a sweet chuckle and attempted to sit up, Lotus about to stand up to help him to his feet only to feel his grip tighten and remain seated in the taller's lap. His hand came up and caressed the side of his face, his fingers trailing down to cup his chin.  
"I love you, Cupcake." He repeated sweetly, Lotus's soul pulsing excitedly.  
"I love you too, Pudding~" He returned his words, taking note of the orange hue dusting his cheekbones at the mention of his pet name.  
In turn, he pulled him close, pressing a quick peck to his mouth, and pulled away with a loving smile on his face. Lotus felt his face grow warmer and pulled him in for another kiss, holding it for a few seconds longer than the last before cutting it off. A giddy laugh was exchanged between the two, Rurik bringing him in for yet another quick kiss. A playful love filled the atmosphere, Lotus enjoying every second he spent with him there. When the two separated, Lotus let out a quiet hum as he rested his head against his chest, curling up in his lap to enjoy the silence that settled between the two. Rurik held his hand in one, his thumb circling the brim of the gaping hole in his hand.  
"I've loved you for such a long time," Lotus murmured, Rurik hanging onto every word as he kept up with his calming gesture. "Why didn't you say something earlier?"  
"It took me such a long time to figure it out myself. I've got a pretty thick skull." He humored weakly, catching the sweet laugh leave his lover. "It's only just now occurred to me that this is your world and I'm just living in it."  
"That was sappy as fuck and you know it." Lotus snickered, Rurik laughing along as he gave a small nod.  
"But you like that stuff, don't you?" He nuzzled into his neck and pressed a few chaste kisses along those bones.  
"Yeah..." his words trailed off when he felt Rurik come across the sensitive part of his neck, silently begging that the last few moments they shared wasn't some lust-driven trick.  
"Wanna get back on the swings?" Lotus released the breath he held and shook his head, letting out a quiet yawn. "Want me to drive you home?"  
"Promise not to try anything?" Rurik raised his pinkie finger up to him, a weak chuckle leaving him as he twined their pinkies and felt the firm jerk before a tender kiss.  
"Promise on our love. There will only be cuddles." That was enough to convince Lotus and he gave in, allowing Rurik to carry him to the car and drive him home.  
He winced when he saw his phone light up, squinting as he tried to decipher the message in the blinding light.  
Goth: Is all forgiven?  
Lotus chuckled, glancing over to find his now-boyfriend focus on the road and thrum his fingers against the steering wheel along with the calming beats.  
Lotus: Yeah. I forgive ya.  
Goth: (ﾉ^ヮ^)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧  
Lotus: and back to unforgiven you go  
Goth: (ﾉ꒪ヮ꒪;)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧


	6. Wearing each other's clothes

Lotus rose early the next morning, a text from his father popping up on his phone to alert him of his shift. Lotus went to get up, only to be held down by a foreign weight. He glanced over to find Rurik still asleep, memories of last night flooding into his mind as he snuggled up beside him. True to his word, the night was spent cuddling one another in their evening attire. The stress of the perfect date they both put themselves through lead to exhaustion when the realization of it being unnecessary donned upon them. Lotus attempted to extract himself from his grasp, the subtle movement causing Ruirk to stir. Lotus saw his sockets crack open, a dazed smile on his face as he pulled Lotus back to his chest.  
"I've got work idiot." Lotus grumbled, another attempt proving useless as he tightened his hold on him."Rurik, seriously~" He whined tiredly, a weak slap hitting the taller's arm as a soft chuckle left him.  
"How could I when you're acting this adorable?" He reasoned, burying his face into the smaller's neck with a hum of content.  
"Like this." He pried at his arms, his weak efforts not doing much to free him from his confinement. "Rurik." His stern voice held no ill intention, Rurik picking up on that immediately.  
"Alright, alright. Under one condition." Lotus rolled his eyes light and pulled him in for a quick kiss, pulling away after holding it for a few seconds, and laughed at the stunned look on his face.  
"That good enough?"  
"I was going to ask for a please, but I guess that works too." He nuzzled into his neck once again and peppered a few chaste kisses around that area. "That made me not wanna let you go even more."  
"Oh no. You already said you would." Lotus laughed, feeling his grip weaken, and sprung free from his hold. "What's on your agenda?" Lotus asked offhandedly, fiddling with the zipper as he tried to pull off his extravagant dress.  
"I have a day off from work, so I guess I'm chilling at my place." He sat up in bed, his arms rising above his head to stretch. The sound of joints popping echoed through the momentarily silent room. He noted his partner struggling, a silent snicker leaving him as he stood up and approached his side. "Need some help there, love?"  
Lotus blushed at the sudden new pet name, slowly nodding to his offer, and stood still as he felt his hand travel down his spine at a slow pace. He recalled the ecto-body he still had formed and pressed the front of the dress against his summoned chest, stepping away when he felt the zipper reach its end and headed into his bathroom for a quick change. Rurik stood outside the door, waiting for him to open up so that he can see him again. His body faded, leaving his bones glowing a dull red hue as he dressed into his usual attire, and opened the door once he got his scarf situated. Rurik took a step inside, his arms wrapping around Lotus's slim waist as watched him get ready for the day.  
"I wish every morning could be like this." Rurik purred lightly, Lotus pressing into his hold after loading his toothbrush with toothpaste. "This is nice, relaxing almost."  
"Almost?" Lotus's words were muffled by the toothpaste, the smaller spitting into the sink, and glanced over at his reflection. "How almost?"  
"If you had the day off today, it would be relaxing one hundred percent." He explained, another nod leaving the young reaper as he rinsed his mouth free of the toothpaste. "I guess there's always Saturday."  
"You're going to spend the night only on Fridays?" Lotus tried to keep his disappointment subtle, hoping that he'd stay over more and cuddle him just as he did last night.  
"Might as well move in then." Rurik teased Lotus's eyelight widening with interest.  
"My house was always big enough." He mumbled lowly, Rurik cocking his bone brow. His interest was piqued by his sudden reasoning and decided to push that further.  
"You sure? I know we haven't dated for long and with what's happened-" Lotus shifted in his hold, turning to face him, and cupped his face in his hands.  
"We were friends for a few years before all that happened. I think experiencing and putting up with some of your shit for that long is enough to trust you in my house." He elaborated to avoid both admitting to the need to feel that innocent intimacy again and acknowledge the history he desperately wanted to leave behind, but it made sense to the retired soldier, who only shrugged in response.  
"I still want to earn your trust." He murmured, pressing a small peck against his nasal bone.  
"I don't want anything handed to me anymore. You always put in the effort in the past and I did nothing to deserve your devotion, now it's my turn to work just as hard and earn your devotion."  
"Whatever drug you've been taking the past few days, give me some because damn are you being sincere as hell." Lotus teased, Rurik laughing along to his statement. "I gotta head out now." He gently pried himself out of his loving hold, giving Rurik another quick kiss as compensation for leaving him like this so early.  
"I could leave a few changes of clothes here for whenever I do end up crashing here," Rurik suggested, Lotus nodding along to what he had said mindlessly.  
"Sounds good. Keys are on the hook. Love you, bye!" He grabbed the granola out of the cabinet, stuffing them into his coat pocket, and teleported out the apartment.  
His shift felt like a blur to him, Lotus doing his best to go through the list as fast as he could. It wasn't that he wanted to or he had something to look forward to. The deaths he had to tend to were natural disasters, experiencing several of those terrors in a day. His scythe slashed through the body, the last name on his list being scratched off indicating that he met his quota. He collected the recently reaped soul, sending it to the underworld through a portal as the list burned before his single eyelight. He teleported back to his father's side, his scythe dissipating as soon as he stepped foot in his office.  
"Finished my shift." He announced, watching his father look over his accomplished list.  
"You seem more happier than usual." He mumbled absentmindedly, wrapping the list up before making it vanish. "You finally get fucked by that Rurik kid?"  
"Dad, the fuck?!" Lotus blushed a bright red hue when he heard him laugh at that, crossing his arms over his chest as he waited for his laughter to die down. It didn't take long, considering he was the only one who found his embarrassment minutely humorous and clarified the first half of his statement. "Rurik took me out to dinner last night and we're are actually dating now." He noticed Death grow stiff at the news, sparing his son a glance before refocusing on his list.  
"Congrats on that. Hope you two are happy with each other." Lotus perked up at his father's words, a small smile forming on his face. "Just be careful." Confusion struck the young reaper, not understanding where he got the notion that they wouldn't be safe and nodded it off, not taking what he had said to heart.  
"Of course, why wouldn't I?" He opened up a portal, his front door clearly seen on the other side, and waved to his father as he stepped through it.  
"Because you always loved him and, after the stunt he pulled, I don't trust him." He grumbled lowly, refocusing on the work he had in store for him after the portal drew shut.  
Lotus walked up the cobblestone path, humming softly as he practically bounced up the three steps that lead to his door, and produced the key from within the pocket on his cloak. He unlocked the door and stepped inside, not even taking note of the dust and blood trail he was leaving behind.  
"Hey Pudding! You home?" He called out, slamming the door shut behind him. The lack of a response was a good enough answer for him.  
'Probably packing some of his stuff from his apartment.' He thought, a warm feeling overtaking him as he recalled bringing up the idea of him spending a few nights. It had more positive outcomes than the negatives and was glad that Rurik agreed to it, to some extent. He'd be here, but it wasn't permanent, not until Rurik felt that he was redeemed. He kicked his dirty red boots off, finally noticing the stains on the wood flooring, and removed his coat immediately. He draped it over his arm and walked into the laundry room, tossing that into the machine along with his dirty pants. Once the desired setting was placed, he moved to check if the dryer was empty or not. Lotus popped open the dryer, seeing his lover's washed clothing taking up space inside. He placed his hand inside, finding them pleasantly warm. He pulled those out, folding them up while he continued to hum a tune. He also found his hat inside, something he never leaves behind since it's one of a kind to him. Lotus never questioned why he valued it so much, knowing how he is about looking soft in front of others. A mischievous thought crossed his mind the longer he stared at the hat in his hands. He poked his head out the room to find the halls just as empty as it was before. He took off his red shirt, slipping on one of Rurik's many shirts, and topped off his outfit with his hat. He slipped into Rurik's pants, viewing his new ensemble in the full body mirror. He buttoned up the oversized shirt and left after unloading the dryer. He carried the full basket to his room, humming an old song to himself as he started to fold up the jeans.  
"Hey Cupcake?" Lotus beamed when he heard him call for him sweetly, taking note of how his nickname lacked the usual lust that accompanied it.  
"In here!" He smiled to himself as he heard footsteps get closer and closer. "What'd you-" Lotus turned around when he heard him laughing, biting his tongue to stifle his own. "What happened to you?"  
There his lover stood, donned in one of his black knee-length cloaks that he tried to pull off as a long hoodie.  
"I tried to make breakfast, burnt the food, got shit everywhere, and almost set myself on fire," he paused and started to count the times that incident occurred, not helping Lotus keep his laughter in check, "about six times." That did it for him, his laughter bubbling out when he heard him confess to that.  
"How'd you-" he couldn't voice the rest of his thoughts, Rurik rolling his eyelights mockingly as a small smile formed on his face.  
"I'm a walking disaster, babe. Thought you knew that by now." He waited for the smaller to get over the humorous situation. "Can I get my clothes back?" Lotus glanced down at his own baggy attire before beaming mischievously.  
"You gotta catch me first~" he pressed a quick kiss to his cheekbone and ran off, Rurik running after him once he processed what the other had said.  
Lotus snickered as he ran throughout the house, knowing all the twists and turns better than the taller, and ended up in the living room once again. He glanced around when he found it empty, making sure Rurik wasn't using this time to sneak upon him. When he turned to face the bedroom hall, he found Rurik charging at him full speed. Lotus held his hands up in surrender, the taller missing that simple gesture, and playfully tackled him to the ground. Lotus's laughter rang clear throughout the once quiet house, Rurik's chuckles accompanying the sound as he hoisted himself a few inches off his lover. Lotus looked up to him and pulled his face down, pulling him into a short giddy kiss that put a playful smile on both their faces.  
"Can I get my clothes back now, please?" He asked politely, Lotus giggling as he shook his head. "But I already caught you~" he whined, burying his face in the crook of the smaller's neck.  
"I didn't say I'd give you your clothes back if you caught me." Lotus reminded playfully, Rurik pulling away to send a quizzical look to his partner. "I said catch me first, remember?"  
Rurik rolled his starry eyelights, a teasing smile on his face as he carefully cupped his cheekbone in one hand, his thumb's featherlight strokes causing the smaller to blush a soft purple hue.  
"You're adorable, you know that?" Rurik inquired, Lotus laughing quietly and shaking his head. "Well, you do now~" A soft hum left the young reaper as he showered his lover in kisses, Lotus accepting the small notes of affection.  
"I love you~" Lotus rested his hand over Rurik's, a genuine smile lighting up his face as he pulled him into a brief kiss.  
"I love you too~"  
"Can I get my clothes back now?" Lotus laughed at the question and nodded.  
"Only if I can get mine back."


	7. Cosplay

Lotus returned home after another long reaping, having been out since noon the day before, a sigh of relief leaving him when his house came into view. He dug into his pockets for the keys, sliding it into the keyhole with great efforts, but found the effort fruitless when the door swung open before he even had the chance to twist it. A small smile on his face when he fell into the welcoming arms of his boyfriend.  
'If only it were like this every day.' The small kiss on his cheekbone grabbing his attention.  
"Tough day?" Lotus nodded softly, barely registering him picking him up, and carrying him inside. "I'll get lunch ready, don't you worry."  
"Please don't burn my house down," Lotus whined tiredly, Rurik walking back over to his side with the phone in hand.  
"Who the hell said I'm cooking it?" Lotus let out a weak laugh, clinging to the taller when he stole the seat beside his and watched him fiddle with his phone. "Anything you craving?"  
"I dunno." Lotus hummed, grabbing the remote off the coffee table to have some sort of background noise. "Maybe some Chinese? Persian?"  
"5-2-1?" Lotus giggles and nods. "Alright. We got Chinese, Persian, Mexican, Italian, and Indian food places near us. What sounds good?"  
"Uh. Persian food was really good, so that and I guess Indian...?" Lotus glanced up from the tv to find a skeptical look on his face. "What? Gotta try something new every day."  
"Who the fuck does that?" Rurik laughed as he clicked on the grill that served Persian food.  
"Me, when I gave you another shot." He reminded, Rurik falling silent and his grip on the smaller tightening ever so slightly. Lotus was about to tease him for his silence, but felt a gentle kiss press against the top of his skull, glancing up to see his gaze already set on him.  
"Then don't ever stop trying new things." Lotus have a confident nod and settled into his side again, flipping through channels until he saw the paranormal investigating show pop up on the screen. "Move for a sec." Lotus let out a quiet whine as he sat up, Rurik leaving the spot on the couch.  
"Rurik, come back~" The taller laughed at the smaller's complaint, shaking his head as he flipped on one of the main lights in the hall.  
"I've gotta go. I'll be right back. I already paid for the food, so you can just give them a delivery tip." He relayed the information before stepping inside the bathroom, the door slamming shut behind him.  
Lotus remained where he was, watching the investigators present their gathered evidence, some of the claims being debunked while others proved to be real. The second half of the episode was about to start when the doorbell rang, Lotus's nonexistent stomach growling to the sound of it.  
"Bet. The food's here!" Lotus got off the couch and tended to the door, hearing the toilet flush as soon as he opened it.  
"Hi Lo!" Lotus pinches his nasal bone, screwing his sockets shut as a soft grunt left his mouth in frustration. "Don't act like you aren't happy to see us."  
"When am I ever happy to see you?" He asked in all seriousness, his cousin laughing as he pulled him into a hug, Lotus accepting the gesture immediately.  
"Told you you were happy to see me." Lotus rolled his eyelight and pulled away from the small gesture.  
"Alright. Whatever you say." He opened the door wider for the two to walk in and headed back to his spot on the couch.  
"I heard food's here and I'm about to dig-" Lotus glanced over to find his shirtless and confused boyfriend standing at the entry of the hallway. "Who the fuck are you two?"  
"Goth, my annoying ass younger cousin, and Palette, his boyfriend." Lotus introduced, Rurik returning to his original seat.  
"You still love me." Goth brushes off, looking over at Palette and giving a small nod. Palette took this as his cue to reveal two bags. "Blue is hosting a costume party-"  
"It's not Halloween though." Lotus reasoned, Rurik still stuck on who this 'Blue' character was.  
"That's why it's just a costume party. He wanted me to invite you since he didn't have your number." Rurik felt a sharp jab of jealousy hit him.  
'Is this Blue guy his ex or something? If he was a friend, Lotus would've told me about him.' His grip on the smaller unknowingly tightened the longer he fed those thoughts, Lotus looking up when felt the discomfort.  
"You alright, Pudding?" Rurik snapped out of his thoughts and glanced down at his lover, nodding softly. "I didn't tell you about Blue, did I?" Rurik shook his head wordlessly, having no faith in what he might say. "Blue's this friend I met whenever I went to stay with them while my parents went on vacation."  
"You didn't go with them?" Lotus laughed and shook his head. "They kick you out or something?"  
"I wasn't about to sacrifice whatever innocence I had left. I knew what was gonna happen on that trip and I didn't wanna witness that." Rurik chuckled and Lotus snuggled closer to the taller. "He always throws these really cool parties ever since he moved in with his boyfriend-" Goth cut him off with news of his own.  
"Now, fiancé." He clarified, Lotus turning to Goth with wide sockets.  
"No way." Goth nodded and reached in his pocket to reveal an envelope.  
"He also wanted me to give you this." Lotus leaned out of Rurik's hold, earning a quiet whine from the other, and grabbed the envelope before returning to his side. "Says it wouldn't be a proper wedding without you there."  
Lotus let out a laugh as he carefully ripped the opening and pulled out the wedding invitation, reading the silver glittery words that decorated the velvety maroon card.  
"This is incredible. I'll have to buy something nice to wear."  
"Maybe another dress?" Rurik offered, Lotus sending a playful glare his way. "Come on, for me?"  
"I'll think about it." He nudged him lightly, turning his attention back to Goth. "When's his costume party?"  
"Why do you think we're here?" He gestured to the bags again and Lotus lolled his head back as he let out a groan.  
"Really? I don't think I wanna-"  
"It starts at 7, so we don't have to leave now. We can-" Palette reasoned, trying to get him to tag along like old times.  
"I'm tired though. I had a long shift today and-" Rurik pressed a soft kiss to the top of his skull, grabbing his attention immediately.  
"How about we eat when the food gets here, you take a quick nap, and then we get ready to go?" Rurik offered, both Goth and Palette nodding along to Rurik's plan.  
"But I'm tired~" He whined, snuggling into his side to immobilize him temporarily.  
"You're tired now. After a nap, you'll-" the doorbell cut the taller off, all three focused on Rurik as he stood to answer it.  
He unlocked it and opened the door, revealing the woman holding their bag of food. Lotus sat up a bit taller when he saw the look that she was giving Rurik, the soft twirling of her hair had the young reaper shoot daggers at her. He got up off the couch, walking over to his boyfriend, and wrapped his arms around his midsection, Rurik's attention on him instantly.  
"Is the food here?" Lotus caught a glimpse of her disappointed and anger-infused face, celebrating mentally when he felt Rurik's arm wrap around him.  
"Yeah, just giving her a tip." He handed the plastic bag over to Lotus while his other hand reached into his pocket for his wallet.  
"That won't be necessary." Lotus was surprised to see her bounce back into her flirty self in an instant and felt the urge to reap her right then and there. "Just let me know when-"  
"Listen bitch. Either you leave or I fuckin' report your ass and make you lose this shit job you have going on." She opened her mouth to counter his statement, but immediately shut it when she saw the phone in his hand. "I won't hesitate, bitch."  
"Have a good day," Lotus noted her gritted teeth and sent a cheery smile her way, along with a middle finger held high, the door slamming in her face.  
"I can't believe you." Rurik laughed, Lotus rolling his eyelight as he happily accepted the affections he presented to him.  
"That bitch was getting too close." He huffed playfully as walked over to the couch, setting the plastic bag on the coffee table.  
"Looks like that woke you up." Everyone nodded along to Palette's light-hearted teasing. "Still up to going to Blue's party?"  
Rurik bugged him every few seconds with that same question, Lotus begrudgingly agreeing when he weakly threatened him about not having some of the food. Though he'd never admit to it, he was glad they persisted on the matter. Knowing the person responsible for getting his costume, it must've been more feminine than he would be comfortable with. When the takeout boxes were empty, Palette tugged Lotus into his room while Goth stayed outside with Rurik.  
"I hope you know how much I'm depending on you not to fuck up." Rurik was about to question what his lover's cousin meant by that but was beat to it by another comment from him. "He really loves you, even when you were fucking around with his feelings."  
"I know. We already talked this out and I'm trying to redeem myself." Rurik retorted, taking care of the trash thrown haphazardly on the coffee table.  
The retired soldier was beyond confused by his sudden words, trying to figure out why he approached this subject at a time like this. "Don't hurt him like you did before."  
"It wasn't my intention to hurt him." He knew exactly what the other was bringing up and made sure that he also knew that a mistake like that wasn't happening again anytime soon. "I was stupid back then for not realizing it and Lotus had to suffer for that. I'm not going to let him be in that position in his life ever again, mark my words." A smile rested on Goth's face as he gave a short nod.  
"That's good." He added solemnly, shoving the costume bag into his empty hands. "Go get dressed. We have to head out soon. The Swap sector isn't exactly close to where we are. "  
Rurik was surprised to hear his voice bounce right back but made no attempt on questioning it. He took his bag and headed toward the bathroom to get dressed. He took note of the sharp suit within the confines of the bag, yet made no remark against it. He slipped into the dress pants, curious about how they managed to get his exact size, and pulled on the shirt. He threw the black-tie over his neck and slipped on the overcoat. It wasn't that he didn't know, well that too, but the real reason being that he just wanted an excuse to have Lotus scold him for it. He stepped out without a second glance and found Goth tapping away at his phone.  
"What's your costume?" Goth glanced up and beamed, pulling back the flaps of his cloak to reveal an olive green medieval style long-sleeved dress. "What the hell?"  
"I'm supposed to be Lady Marian. Palette dressed up as Robin Hood if you didn't notice." Rurik thought back to what the other was wearing but shrugged it off when he couldn't recall it well enough.  
Rurik listened to Lotus fuss about his assigned costume, a soft chuckle leaving him as he waited for him to walk into the living room.  
"The only thing I approve of is that this damn garter can hold a gun." Rurik bit his tongue to stifle his laughter.  
"Oh shush. It's not even a real gun."  
"Then fuck this outfit." Rurik stifled his laughter, Goth fairing no differently.  
"You look really good!" Goth beamed at the sound of Palette's reassurance and watched the two step out from the hall.  
"Were these heels really necessary?" He shot another question, his train of thought coming to a halt when he found Rurik slack-jawed and staring at him. He took this time to observe his costume, never before seeing him in such a sharp black suit, even if poorly assembled.  
"You couldn't fix your buttons?" Rurik smirked at the sight of his purple blush lighting up the smaller's face when he asked.  
"I thought you'd like to do the honors~" Lotus rolled his eyelight playfully at his remark and headed over to him. "You look amazing~" He cooed softly, Lotus's eyelight darting up at the sudden compliment, and smiled.  
"You're not looking too bad yourself." He made a mental note of the affection gaze he had on him when he told him that simple fact, carrying on with his work of preparing him for the party.  
He started to button up his shirt, shooting him the occasional loving glances to meet his already set gaze. Lotus took note of the disheveled tie, another roll of his eyelight accompanying the playful smile he adored.  
"Couldn't tie a tie either? You want me this close for that long?" He teased, Rurik laughing as he wrapped his arms around his waist in an attempt to pull him closer.  
"More so that I don't know how to." Lotus chuckled, rolling his eyelight as he gave him a soft smack to his chest.  
"Uncultured shit." He murmured as he tied his tie-up. "So what are we going as exactly?"  
"Mr. and Mrs. Smith!" Palette answered, Rurik letting out a soft groan as Lotus pinched his nasal bone. "What?"  
"You couldn't be anymore cliche, could you, Roller?" Palette smiles brightly and shook his head, opening the front door.  
"The party starts in about two hours, and that's how long the drive is to the Swap sector." Palette reminded, Goth stepping out of the house first in hopes of getting the other two to follow behind.  
"I got the door," Rurik announced, grabbing the house keys off its hook, and motioned Palette to go ahead with Lotus following shortly after. "Ah, not you~" he purred, blocking his exit to earn an unamused glare from the smaller.  
"Come on Rurik, you know I hate being late." He reminded, walking into his arm in hopes of his grip on the door frame being weak, yet faced disappointment when he found himself leaning against his strong hold. "Rurik~" The taller held back his laugh and tapped his cheekbone twice, Lotus tolling his eyelight and complying with his simple demand. "Better?"  
"Much~" he stepped out with Lotus and locked the door behind him, joining Goth and Palette in their car.


	8. Shopping

Rurik stares out the window as another song died down, the two up front still laughing along to how ridiculous they sounded while singing along. Lotus had dozed off within the first twenty minutes of the trip, his head resting in Rurik's lap as the taller gently rubbed his skull absentmindedly.  
"I'm glad Lo decided to come with us this time." Rurik spared a glance into the rearview mirror, seeing Palette's concentrated face stare ahead.  
"What'd you mean? This time?" He noticed Goth had tensed at his question and frowned lightly.  
'How much did I actually fuck up?' He thought, glancing down at the calm face of his lover.  
"Well ever since he moved back, he stopped going to the parties. Blue was really upset, especially since he didn't get his number before he left." The tense situation going over the artist's head as he explained.  
"When did he move back?" Rurik posed another question, his hand left to rest on top of the smaller's forehead.  
"About four, maybe five years ago." Rurik's eyelights shrunk as the realization seeped into his mind, his guilt-infested subconscious worsening. "He must've gotten really busy."  
'It was because of me.' That single thought resonated inside him.  
'You made him obsess over you!'  
'You made him push his friends away!'  
'You made him love you when you could give less shits about him!'  
He clenched his hand into a fist, trying to avoid punching himself for think about all this, and attempted to take quiet, shallow breaths in hopes of calming his nerves. He shut his sockets and pressed into the back of the seat, trying to calm himself down before his anger get the best of him.  
'No. I'll be better this time. I'll treat him right, like a fucking queen.'  
'Right. Like you could recover from a fuck up that big. Sure.'  
The rest of the drive was a blur, Rurik tuning out the music and soft chatter of the two in the front.  
"We're here." Rurik blinked a few times at Palette's voice, all previous thoughts getting tucked away and forgotten.  
Rurik nudged Lotus lightly, the smaller letting out a small yawn and looking around as he rubbed his sockets.  
"We there yet?" Lotus asked, earning a soft kiss to the side of his skull. The flashing lights caught his attention, instinctively smiling as he flung the door open, surprising Rurik by the sudden burst of energy his lover displayed. "What are we waiting for?" He stepped out of the car, glancing back and extending his hand out for Rurik to take.  
He did as expected, being tugged out of the car and practically dragged to the entrance of the establishment. It wasn't a very large building, two stories at best, but the lights flashing from behind the dark windows and the set up outside attracted the attention of the ones passing by. "All guests are already inside." The bouncer halted their advancement, Lotus crossing his arms over his chest in annoyance.  
"I'm a special guest, a friend of the host. Let me in or-" The young reaper's demand was cut short when Goth and Palette approached their side, Blue coming out from inside with a small shot glass in hand and a pissed-off look on his face.  
"Where the hell is-" Blue froze when he saw Lotus standing before him, a wide smile striking his features as he took a step closer and embraced him tightly. "You ass! You just disappear without letting me know!" Lotus laughed and returned the gesture.  
"I didn't think you'd consider me a friend so quickly." Blue pulled away and looked over Lotus.  
"You sure you're Lotus? I thought Lotus knew me better than that." Another string of laughter left him, Rurik looking from one to the other to get some idea of what kind of relationship they had. He did tell him that they were just friends, but, with their close proximity and playful banter, Rurik was almost convinced they had been a thing.  
'If Lotus said there's nothing, let me believe his words.' He told himself as he tried to keep those negative thoughts at bay.  
"Is your fiancé here?" That question pushed his previous thoughts out.  
"Nah. He had work, but he said he'd come around later, so maybe you'll see him if you stay long enough." Blue places his engagement ring on display, Lotus in awe at the expensive piece of jewelry.  
"Damn." He whistled lowly. "He really went all out."  
"Enough about me. Come on. We'll catch up over a few drinks." Blue motioned for the four to follow him.  
The light show outside was nothing compared to the strobing lights inside. The dance floor lit up with a variety of colors flashing to the beat of the music. There were already so many guests, which lead Rurik to believe that this was everyone that was to attend. Blue ordered a round of drinks for the three, the retired soldier noticing his cyan eyelights looking over him.  
"Can I help you?" he didn't like the sudden attention, Lotus snickering when he picked up on that.  
"Well, if I knew who you were, maybe you could." Blue shrugged, gesturing to the empty seat at the table. "You can sit, y'know."  
"The name's Rurik."  
"My boyfriend," Lotus added, intertwining their fingers together and felt a kiss rest against the back of it.  
"Oh ho~ That's why you haven't contacted me." Blue nudged the young reaper, Lotus snickering as he shoved him aside.  
"Fuck off, Blue." A small smile worked its way onto Rurik's face when he felt his lover's happiness. The waitress came by and set their drinks in front of them, lingering a little longer when serving Rurik. He paid it no mind, dismissing her with a wave of his hand as he tried to listen in on their conversation, proving difficult to contribute considering they were talking about their history together. The best he could do was listen to the shenanigans the two would force Goth and Palette to join in. The drinks served had gone ignored throughout the majority of the conversation, Blue being the only one to take a sip from his glass. Rurik found that pause mildly annoying, wanting him to continue exposing his lover's mischievous teenage years. Lotus's eyelight widened, laughing as he pushed Blue away, and paused to hear the music change from upbeat pop to heavy rap.  
"I love this song!" Rurik's attention shot up from the drink to Lotus, who was now rapping along with the singer while Blue cheered him on.  
"Didn't think this was something that's on your radar." Rurik teased lightheartedly, Lotus now focuses on him with a wide smile.  
"Of course it is! I listened to this stuff on our drives back home-" Rurik blinked back when his partner let it a small gasp and turned to Blue. "They didn't steal my title yet, did they?"  
"Someone was close, but not yet. Your tolerance probably got better though, right?" Lotus nodded to his question and took off, Rurik getting up to follow his overexcited lover and figure out what title he had to defend when the waitress from before came back to him.  
"I made that drink special. Don't let it go to waste~" His soul raced, panic evident in his face as he felt his urges surge through him. "Come on, sweetheart~"

'No! Lotus is important! Go find Lotus!' He balled his hands into fists and shook his head.

"Fuck off bitch. I need to find my boyfriend." He grumbled, pushing her aside so he could do what he said. The waitress had other plans, grabbing hold of his arm and yanking him back to her. The wicked smile on her face made him nervous. The sensation of his magic spiking at the sexual tension was sending his anxiety through the roof. His start eyelights shrunk to mere pinpricks as he felt her hand slowly creep up his arm to come and rest at the base of his neck.  
"What he doesn't know won't hurt him, right?~" His mind clouded with lustful thoughts, almost succumbing to them if it weren't for her hands carefully traveling down his body.  
"I said-" His sudden shove causing her to stumble backwards, "fuck off!" He stormed through the crowd, his attempts to distance himself from her cut short once again by her persistence.  
"Hard to get isn't really my thing~" Her constant purring wasn't helping his current state of mind, his magic threatening to form the hard-on he had been suppressing.  
"Then fucking leave bitch! Damn!" Rurik booked it, slipping through the crowd effortlessly in hopes of finding Lotus somewhere. He found a familiar white hood and ran to it, grabbing hold of Goth's shoulder once he was an arm length away.  
"Oh hey Rurik, what-"  
"Where's Lotus?" Panic evident in his voice, Goth shot a glance around the area, standing on his toes to peer over the flood of people dancing, and spotted a crowd forming around the open bar.  
"Probably reclaiming his title." Rurik's bone brow furrowed in concern.  
"What title? Take me to him!" Goth paid no mind to his sudden change in tone and motioned him to follow.  
He did as told, the two approaching the open bar and slipped through the crowd to find Lotus chugging a hearty cup of beer while the challenger choked up at the final half of the cup. Lotus slammed the empty cup onto the bar confidently, laughing as he saw him vomit up what he previously drank. "Lotus always handles his alcohol pretty good. He could go through drinks and be tipsy at the end of it."  
"Oh, baby~" He wasted no time and headed toward his boyfriend. He needed to leave this place before his urges got the best of him.  
Lotus took note of the newcomer, turning to accept the challenge, but stopped when he saw Rurik standing before him. He gave him a toothy grin and hugged him once he got close enough, the anxiety he felt earlier slowly losing its hold on him.  
"Didn't think I'd be like this, huh?" He asked playfully, close to ordering a drink for Rurik when he shook his head.  
"Cupcake, we gotta go." He mumbled, his movements a little shaky and his sights blurring.  
"What's wrong?" He checked for any obvious signs of discomfort, only to find his pinpricks darting from left to right. "Pudding?"  
"Please, let's just go." Lotus nodded and followed him out the door, the cool night nipping at the smaller's exposed limbs.  
"Fuck. Should've packed a jacket." Rurik caught his mumbling and slipped off his topcoat with ease, draping it over his slim shoulders. "I'll live. You-"  
"I've been stationed at colder places. Don't worry about me." Lotus gave a small nod to accept his offer, silence settling between the two as they strayed farther away from the bar. "Sorry for pulling you away from the party."  
"It's fine. It wasn't that fun." He shrugged off, the negative thoughts returning once he answered.

'He's lying to save you from the guilt.'

'Too bad he doesn't know that it follows and will follow you until your death.'

'He probably wanted to stay, you asshole.'

'You're not going to tell him about the woman, huh? Typical.'

'What he doesn't know won't hurt him.' That thought scared him the most, a shiver running up his spine. The fact that that last thought even occurred to him caused something inside Rurik to snap, clenching his fist tightly to avoid hurting himself in front of the smaller.

"Lotus, I'm sorry."  
"It's okay, Pudding." He looked at him in disbelief, he witnessed the woman trying to get his way with him and didn't show up as reinforcement. "I don't blame you for wanting to leave. The party was getting a little out of control anyway-" Of course, he didn't witness it. Knowing Lotus, there might've been a soul reaped prematurely if he saw.  
"Not for that." Lotus cocked his head to the side, taking hold of Rurik's hand in hopes of helping him overcome whatever caused his hesitation. "I'm sorry that the waitress got the better of me." The grip on his hands tightened and the retired soldier kept his gaze on their joined hands.  
"She what?" He flinched at his voice, the lack of emotion behind it worrying him as he attempted to rephrase what he had said.

'You just had to say something, huh?'

'Should've kept your mouth shut.'

'You lost him.'

'He's going to break up with you.'

'Back to jumping from bottle to bottle.'

'You don't deserve someone like him and you know that.'

"She was trying to get with me and I denied. I kept telling her no, but she had me pinned against a wall and-"  
"You didn't do anything to provoke that, did you?" Rurik shook his head, too disoriented to lie about something like this. "You didn't keep going with it, right?" He shook his head once again and Lotus surprised him by directing his gaze to him, a small smile lighting up his face. "Then it's okay."  
"You aren't mad?"  
"I'm fucking pissed. If I saw that shit, she'd be dead on the spot." Rurik chuckled weakly as Lotus addressed his prediction as reality. "Not at you, but her. The fact that her desperate ass kept trying when you said no, how many times?"  
"At least four, I think." Relief washed over him as he confessed.

'He's my boyfriend. My life is his, he deserves to know.' He made an effort to imprint that thought into his head, repeating it again and again in hope of it leaving even a subtle mark.

'Then tell him about your issues.'

'Tell him about the lack of control you have over them.'

'Go on! Tell-' Rurik's thoughts came to an abrupt halt, looking down to see the smaller intertwine their arms as he walked alongside him.

"That thirsty bitch." Lotus grumbled, pressing a kiss to the palm of the taller's hand. "Wanna grab some snacks and hit up a motel? We didn't drive here so we gotta stay the night unless Goth has plans to leave."  
"Yeah sure. Maybe we can get a spare change of clothes."  
"For sure. Sleeping in a dress isn't exactly comfortable." He mused, Rurik snickering as he guided him through the unfamiliar streets. "I feel like there should be a supercenter or some shit, if I'm remembering correctly."  
"Yeah. Looks like there's one across the street." He pointed out the store a few blocks away from the crosswalk on the other side. "Lights are still on so maybe we got time."  
The automatic doors slid open, shielding them from the cold outdoors, and passed through yet another set of doors to be greeted by the produce aisle.  
"Let's go get some clothes first." Lotus stepped out of his heels, softly rubbing the aching arch of his feet. "These shoes are killing me." He leaned down to grab hold of them, Rurik beating him to it and picking them up. "I can carry them."  
"Don't worry about it. You can carry our shit." Lotus shot a half glare when he saw the basket already in his hands.  
"Yeah right. Like you'd let me." He walked back to the front and grabbed a cart, Rurik snickering when he returned to his side. "What?"  
"Mind showing me the crazy shit you'd get up to." The look the younger reaper gave him made it harder for the other to keep his laughter contained.  
"I'm not getting in the damn cart to remake a medieval joust."  
"Come on, Cupcake. There's wrapping paper waiting to be used as a sword." Lotus rolled his eyelight at his remark and kept walking. "What happened to the teenage you?"  
"I want snacks and I know if we pull some dumb shit like that, we're getting kicked out." He reminded, strolling pass the aisles. "Besides, there isn't anyone to joust." He added in a low mumble as he pushed it past the freezer section.  
"What other stuff was there?"  
"We used to play tag, dare or stupid dare, murder, hide and seek, hold pun competitions-"  
"Hold up, murder?" Lotus laughed at his boyfriend's confusion and shook his head to dismiss any ideas he got.  
"Not like that, dummy." He turned into the snack aisle and contemplated the brand of popcorn he wanted to choose. "One person would be the murderer, chosen by cards, and they'd have to find and kill the rest of the players with an x on their back." He absentmindedly grabbed the extra buttery popcorn off the shelf and tossed it into the cart. "It would work better with a group. With just us, it'd be basically hiding and seek with a consequence."  
"Want spicy chips or something bland?" Rurik asked from further down the same aisle, holding up the two bags to show off the options he had narrowed down to.  
"Spicy." He answered loudly as he looked through the variety of sodas, humming softly as he reached up for the small one-liter bottles.  
"Yeet!" Rurik watched as the small reaper's attention shot to where he stood, seeing him throw the bag from where he had planted his feet and make it into the cart.  
"If you don't get back over here and shop like a normal person, you're gonna get your ass beat." The retired soldier laughed at his words and headed back before the consequence could be put in place.  
Rurik grabbed hold of the handle, looking to his boyfriend expectantly. Lotus crossed his arms over his chest, a small frown resting on his face as he reiterated his previous claim. Lotus started to walk away, turning back to find Rurik still standing there with a knowing smirk on his face. A simple shrug from the taller got him to succumb to his childish ways and climbed into the cart, standing up to see over the shelves.  
"That way! There's cold beer!"  
"It's cold outside though." Lotus looked down at him, furrowing his bonebrow as he tried to understand why he was refusing. "And cold beers?" His sockets widened when Rurik pointed that out, kneeling in the cart to rest his arms on the handle. "Then what do you suggest?"  
"Wine. Anything classier for you." He softly bopped the smaller's nasal bone in response.  
"So we're buying wine glasses with that?"  
"If that's what you like."  
"Fuck it. We can just pass the bottle, not like either of us have a problem with that." Rurik noted the quick glance he shot him, probably trying to figure out whether he was on board with his idea or not.  
"Fine by me." He pushes the cart along and grabbed a wine bottle off the shelf, neither paying much attention to what type or brand it was.  
They strolled through a few more isles leisurely before heading to the clothing section of the store, Lotus climbing or the cart to skim through the limited selection he had.  
"You know you could be looking for your own stuff too." He reminded distractedly, breezing past the basic variety of pajama pants they had to offer.  
"So you could pay and escape?" He listened to him scoff in response as he plucked the fuzzy black pajama pants off the hanger.  
"As if I brought money with me." Lotus shoot him a glance and waved his hand as if to shoo him away. "Now go get your things so we can get to a motel fast."  
"Alright, alright. Calm down, mom." That earned him a teasing glare and a gentle shove in the other direction, both laughing as he moved along the aisle.  
A pair of simple black slides caught his attention, looking back to his barefoot lover, and placed it into the cart. He found a pair of dark green, almost black, pajama pants of a similar texture, tossing it haphazardly in the cart as he continued to look through the options they had. He came across an all-black onesie. He turned back to find Lotus busy and, knowing his indecisive nature, decided to explore this article of clothing a little further. He picked it out from the bunched-up section, flipping it over to find the face of an adorable penguin on the hood and white cover a good portion of the front. He checked the tag and looked back at his boyfriend, trying to at least estimate his size before tossing it in the cart with confidence.  
"Hey Cupcake?" A distracted hum let him know that he didn't catch him grabbing hold of the outfit. "What size are you?"  
"A small."  
"More like smol." He teased as he hid the onesie under his selected pair of bottoms.  
"More like shut the fuck up." He tossed a hoodie of a similar color into the cart when he took the chance to playfully snap back. "Now come on. I think we got everything."  
The pair headed to the self-checkout, Lotus distracting himself with the small candy selection they offered. Rurik took this time to scan the onesie and place that at the bottom of the bag, covering it with his pajama bottoms and the snacks they picked out. The wine was the last item to be scanned, the worker giving them the okay to make the purchase ahead of time. He paid the bill, tossing the receipt in the trash as he walked over to his boyfriend.  
"Damn, you scanned that shit pretty fast." Rurik shrugged as he set a pair of black slides in front of his feet. "When'd you-"  
"Figured you might want something without the heel." Lotus slipped them on and linked his arms with him, the two walking out the store with the soft crinkling of plastic following them to a nearby motel.  
Rurik managed to book a room for the night, getting one that was on the third floor, and paid the small fare before he received the keys to their temporary place. He unlocked the door, tossing the keys on the table near the front while tossing their bags onto the queen size bed.  
Lotus made a small announcement and went to shower, Rurik taking this time to hide the onesie under the bed for the time being while he tended to his own clothes. He stripped from the formal attire, pulling on the warm pajama pants bought, and grabbed the remote off the tv stand before making plans of falling gracelessly onto the bed. He flipped through the channels as he waited for Lotus to return, his hand distractedly picking at the food in the bag. It didn't take more than ten minutes for the shower to turn off, Lotus walking out with the towel covering the majority of his body.  
"Where's the-" Rurik held up the articles of clothing he was looking for, Lotus giving him a playful pout as he held his hand out for them. "Give 'em back." Rurik hummed as he took that into consideration, clearly irking the smaller as he tried to grab them from his hand. "Come on Pudding I don't have all night."  
"What's the magic word?" Lotus rolled his eyelight in annoyance as he crossed his arms over his chest.  
"Fuck me in the ass." He muttered in frustration, trying to think of what word his lovable idiot was thinking of to get what he needed back from him.  
"I was looking for 'please', but that works too~" He cooed as he held the clothes within his reach.  
Lotus snatched them, a soft purple glow on his face as he headed back into the bathroom to get dressed, causing him to laugh as he finally rested in bed. Lotus returned to his side in a matter of seconds, sidling up beside him before pulling the bag closer to them.  
"What are we watching?" Feeling him shrug to answer as he continued to flip through, giving after flipping past a few low-level entertainments and shutting the tv off completely. "Nothing it is then." He removed the cork to the wine bottle with a quick zap of his magic, taking a careful sip before handing it to him.  
"You never told me you could handle your alcohol pretty good."  
"Well yeah. I've been doing it since I was about sixteen or seventeen." Lotus subtly bragged, taking out the chips and popping the bag open. "Perks of being a demigod, y'know?"  
"Oh ho. Cheating your way to the title, huh?" He joshed, Lotus laughing as he nudged him playfully.  
"Nothing says that I have to be fully normal."  
"And if it does?"  
"A. That's discrimination. And B. It's a made-up title. Who the fuck-" a yawn broke Lotus's sentence midway, Rurik surprised to see him wear down this early in the night, "cares?"  
"Didn't know you were tired, Cupcake." He mumbled absentmindedly, placing the cork back over the opening to save the drink.  
"Mm... Didn't think I was." He hummed, resting his head on the fluffy pillow before looking up to him. "You sleepy too?"  
"Kinda." He let out a small yawn after confessing to that, rolling up the chips bag to keep it crisp.  
He tossed those two food items carelessly on the nightstand.  
He scooted forward, grabbing the blanket and tossing it over the pair before lying down as well. He pulled Lotus close, having the other rest his head on his chest, and wrapped his arm around him in a comfortable hold. Lotus curled his fingers around the first rib, holding onto him as if he were to disappear, and felt a soft kiss be pressed against the top of his head.  
"G'night~" Rurik cooed, Lotus nodding as if to return the words and dozed off.  
The retired soldier took this short amount of alone time to reflect, trying to figure out what he could do to make up for pissing Lotus off with the bartender confession and felt his sockets shut when he came up with a few decent ideas.


	9. Hanging out with friends

Lotus's sockets cracked open at the sound of keys jingling, sitting up against the headboard as he rubbed the sleep out of them. He shot a quick glance to the other half of the bed and found it empty, hearing the lock click to unlock shortly after. The door swung open, Rurik walking in with a white box balanced perfectly on the palm of his hand and a small bouquet in the other.  
"What's all this?" He humored as the other silently placed the box in his lap and set the flowers beside him.  
"To thank you for not suffocating me in my sleep." Lotus rolled his eyelight and flipped the lid over, finding a variety of donuts packed neatly inside. "You didn't have to do this. It isn't like you to be this fuckin' nice." He pokes fun at his sudden change of behavior, Rurik giving a flimsy shrug in response.  
"I wanted to though." He kept his protest simple, reaching in to steal the glazed one in the front. "Besides, donuts are good as shit. Why wouldn't I grab some?" Lotus didn't put up much of a fight, grabbing the chocolate one out of the box while checking his phone for anything he might've missed. A few texts from Goth asking for his whereabouts, as expected. Instead of responding, he went to check on the few notifications he received on Snapchat. A smile lit his face as he accepted Blue's request, a few snaps already popping in his feed. He tapped on his name, the first picture popping up.  
'Hey! Where'd u go?' He tapped again and found a short ten-second clip of the dance floor.  
'The party's only gonna get better!' He snickered rolling his eyelight as he watched the guests get crazier as the lights strobed faster.   
'We gotta hang out! Lmk when ur free tomorrow' He tapped once again and was met with the friends' list.  
"Hey Pudding, got anything planned for today?" He slid to the side, prepared to message him about a time and place to meet up at.  
"Not really, unless Goth's ready to drop us off." Lotus beamed at those words and sent a message Blue's way, mindful of the fact that he might be with his fiancé at the moment. "Why? What's up?"  
"Blue wanted to hang today and I wanted you to come with us." He answered absentmindedly, his focus more on his phone as he scrolled through the feed he hadn't checked up on.  
"You don't have to bring me along. I'll be-"  
"Bored out of your mind with the three shit movie channels this place offers." He filled in the blank, earning a short laugh from him. "Come on, I'm pretty sure we can walk out in these." Lotus threw his legs over the edge of the motel bed and sat up to stretch out his stiff joints, a soft pop and occasional sound of rattling bones echoed throughout their room. Lotus's attention shot to his boyfriend, finding him lying back and staring up at him with that smug smirk he's come to love so much plastered on his face. "What's with the dumb look on your face, huh?"  
"You're too fuckin' cute."  
"Or so I've been told." He teased, biting back the laugh he left when he watched him turn over to lie on his chest. "What?"  
"Who else out there is calling my flower cute?" Lotus rolled his eyelight and left his question unanswered, standing up wake up his still sleeping legs. "Lo." The reaper spared him a quick glance upon hearing him growl playfully, flashing a quick smile before heading into the bathroom. "I'm finna kick some ass then."  
"Have fun beating yourself up then," Lotus advised as he started up on his morning routine. "Off-topic question. This a hotel or a motel?"  
"Motel," Rurik answered simply as he got on his feet and softy plodded over to where Lotus was. "Why? What's up?"  
"Damn. For a motel, they really do treat their guests right." He flashed the two dental care mesh bags, tossing one over his shoulder knowing fully well it won't hit the ground. "Even the toothpaste is a good brand." Rurik let out a low whistle, the sound of the zipper unzipping accompanied it.  
"So what's the plan, boss?" Lotus snorted at his new title, spitting out the foamy paste to speak clearly.  
"Honestly, it's whatever we find good. I didn't socialize here unless it was at the bar we snuck out to, so Blue probably has more ideas on what to do than I do." Rurik gave a small nod and spit out the toothpaste. "Ready to head out?"  
"Yeah, let's dip." He shut off the faucet and toweled himself dry.  
Rurik grabbed the laundry bag out of the closet and stuffed the few belongings they had into them before tossing it over his shoulder and gesturing to Lotus so he could lead the way. They headed out the motel, going over to the front desk so that Rurik could check them out, the process not being as long and extraneous as Lotus had predicted.  
"Where'd he say to meet you up at?" Rurik asked as he pocketed the receipt, Lotus sparing a glance back down at his phone to confirm he had to lead them to the right place.  
"Blueberry's FroYo." He recited from the text, glancing up to find the giant blueberry sign a few ways away on the opposite side of the street. "Over there."  
"So he owns the place?" Rurik asked as they approached the first crosswalk and pressed the button more than a few times.  
"Looks like it." He started to head over to the front entrance and hesitated, most likely due to the bright lights strobing inside. "I'll just text him to meet us outside."  
"I feel like I'm about to have a fuckin' seizure just looking at it." The young reaper laughed at his boyfriend's remark and called Blue to ask for his whereabouts. "No fuckin' way..." Lotus spared Rurik a glance, watching him walk over to another table with a lone customer eating his sweet dessert. "Dust?" A smile lit up on stranger's face upon recognition and stood up immediately, meeting him halfway and throwing a playful punch to his shoulder.  
"Aw hell nah, Roller! What's your fuck ass doing here in Swap? Fell not good enough for ya?"  
"Could ask you the same thing, asshat. How long you back for?"  
"Got let out early." Rurik was surprised to hear him say that, about to pose the question of why that was, but was beat to it. "Got my head fucked up, slowed my reaction time down, and that messed up my leg." He motioned to the prosthetic he had on from the knee down. "Dusted before they had a chance to save it."  
"Damn. How'd you lose it?"  
"Too impulsive. I went back to help out my team, didn't realize I was on land mine grounds." He shrugged off that incident casually and continued his little story. "I got dismissed once they patched me up, so I came down to Swap, got a job, and I'm about to get married in a few months. Shit, speaking of which," he paused and produced an envelope from his back pocket. "I was supposed to hold onto this for Blue's friend, but I'm sure he'll have extras on him."  
"Wait a sec, Blue?" He glanced over his shoulder and motioned for Lotus to come over, his boyfriend doing just when he saw that smile on his face. "Lo, Blue's fiancé. Dust, my boyfriend Lotus." He introduced casually. "He used to be my bunkmate back during boot camp before we got stationed at different places." He turned to his old friend and handed him the card back. "We got one yesterday, Goth gave it to us."  
"Wow. You saw my name and still forgot me? Fucking colder than ice." Rurik laughed and shoved him.  
"Oh, grow up, little bitch. I didn't even see the invite, neither of us did. We left for Swap as soon as we got it." Lotus Gabe a small nod, as if he was all the confirmation Dust needed to actually believe him.  
"If he says it's true, I gotta believe it." he took a seat and gestures to the empty chairs. "a little fun fact. I have a pretty good collection of embarrassing shit he's told me, most of them involving you. Now seeing you in person, I can see why you had him fawning over you." Rurik didn't like the sound of that, knowing how much information his young naive self had entrusted with him while he was training.  
"Now this, I have to hear." Lotus laughed as he took a seat at Dust's table, his boyfriend following his example.  
"Yo, chill, I was young." His defense was weak, Dust easily picking up on that and pushing past it.  
"Sixteen ain't young, Rurik." He dismissed his friend's silly excuses and turned to Lotus. "He had the serious hots for you, the only thing he wouldn't shut up about. It was always 'Lotus would be doing this right now', 'Lotus and I used to do that around this time', 'I'm fighting for Lotus', 'when I get discharged, I'm going to marry him.' You were his purpose to keep going, ya know." The young reaper's face flushed as he listened to Dust expose Rurik, knowing his words rang true when he shot a glance over at Rurik, finding him faced down on the table as to hide his embarrassment. "Stars, and one time he was feeling so damn homesick, he requested an emergency leave just to go down and see you. When he came back, I didn't get even a minute to hear about something other than you or whatever the general had him relay to the rest of us."  
"Stars, shut the fuck up please." He groaned, his voice slightly muffled by the table, and Lotus laughed, smacking the back of his head softly.  
"Oh, quit your bitching. I think it's cute." The young reaper figured Rurik was taking this as a sign of weakness, that he couldn't go through basic boot camp without mentioning Lotus's name every now and then.  
"I don't do cute, Cupcake." Lotus rolled his eyelights at his muttering and held his face in his hands.  
"I know. I do cute. You do insanely fuckin' hot." He kept his voice low to avoid giving Dust any more things to make fun of him for and grinned when he saw his sour mood lighten up just a bit. "What else did he used to say?" Rurik immediately went to clamp Dust's mouth shut, not wanting to hear what he had said all those years ago but found his efforts fruitless as Dust opened his mouth.  
"He used to-" Luck was on Rurik's side, hearing Blue's voice cut Dust off before he said anything that needed to be completed.  
"Sorry, Dusty. I had to wait for the afternoon guys to come in and-" he finally looked up after stuffing his phone and wallet into his back pocket, a smile on his face when he saw Lotus. "You lying bitch. I thought you said you didn't know him." The smaller laughed as he got up from his seat, walking around the two to hug Blue.  
"I didn't, Rurik did. They were at the same boot camp back in the day." Lotus turned to his boyfriend and waved.  
"Guess we'll see you back at Goth's place then." The retired soldier shot Blue a confused glance when he said that and immediately looked to Lotus for confirmation of the plan. "Oh ho~ Lo really does have you wrapped around his little finger. You gotta tell me your secret." Rurik rolled his eyelights, dropping his gaze immediately upon hearing Blue laugh. "Can't really go dress shopping with my fiancé in tow." Dust's jaw dropped when he heard him say that, his face lighting up at the thought of his soon-to-be husband preferred a dress over a suit. "That means you should go suit shopping today, Mister. If I hear that you didn't get one by the end of the day, I'm returning it and I'm going suit shopping with you." Blue's words held no real threat, and yet Dust still complied, standing from his chair and gesturing for Rurik to do the same. "See you guys back at Goth's place." Blue bid, blowing a small kiss his fiancé's way before turning back.  
"Lotus, wait!" The young reaper halted and looked to his boyfriend, a short-lived squeal leaving him as he was scooped up into his arms and kissed him, a giddy smile on both their faces as he was set back down on his feet. "Love you~ See you in a bit."  
"Stars, you're such an idiot." Lotus laughed as he yanked the taller down to press a chaste kiss to his cheekbone. "Love you too, Puddin'~ Can't wait to see you again either."  
"Learn something from Rurik while you're out with him, will ya?" Blue's little joke had Rurik embarrassed, resting his head on the smaller's shoulder as a prolonged groan left him. Dust got up from his seat and looped around arm around Blue's waist, pressing a featherlight kiss to his temple.  
"If you wanted me to change, babe," He hunched over slightly, placing another light note of affection, now to his usually hidden neck, "you wouldn't have said yes~"  
"Oh, shut up." Blue huffed playfully as he pushed him away, Dust grabbing hold of his wrist loosely before he could pull it away completely, and blushed lightly when he felt a gentle peck on the back of his hand.  
"Still want me to change?~"  
"Not one bit." That put a smile on the taller's face, finally releasing his hold on his lover's hand. "See you at Goth's, hun."  
"I'll be counting the seconds, babe." Blue was pleased to hear that, wrapping his arm around Lotus's, and both waved to the pair as they headed off towards Blue's car. "Guess you owe my fiancé a favor for saving your ass from embarrassment."  
"Shut the fuck up. I don't owe him shit." He laughed with a roll of his starry eyelights. "Let's get that suit."  
"Suits, headass." Dust corrected, snickering at his old friend's confused expression. "You're gonna be my best man, duh."   
Rurik wasn't expecting him to ask him of all people to take up a position that big for his wedding. "I haven't seen you in how many years and you want me to be your best man?"  
"You act like I have more friends than that." Rurik laughed a bit at that little comment and listened to him explain himself. "The other groomsmen are just people I met through Blue. They're nice guys, just not people that know know me like you do, ya know?"  
"I guess. You better not have some dumbass color picked for them because I'm going to tell you his right now. If it's anything bright and annoying, I'm shooting myself." Dust laughed and let out a playful hoot.  
"Bet! Now I'm definitely gonna make you wear orange." Rurik pulled off a face of disgust and flipped him off, Dust's laughter tenfolding as he lead him to the car.  
"Fuck you, man." He shook his head disapprovingly as he slid into the passenger seat. "I'm not gonna wear fuckin' orange." He added with a grumble.  
"Right back at ya." He cheered, driving off to find the tailor's closest to where they were at.


	10. With animal ears

"This one's the one, Blue. You look so good!" Lotus told him as he stepped out of the changing room for the umpteenth time, donning a floor-length strapless lacy dress with a heavily beaded belt accenting his figure in the best way possible. "And the trail is just as extra as you are." He added, Blue laughing as he playfully shoved his friend aside.  
"Be serious. I don't wanna be too extra to where it's borderline weird." He observed his reflection, running his hands along his curves to come to rest on his hips, a bit frustrated with his obnoxiously bright blue ecto-body glowing lightly through the fabric. "I feel like if this was a thicker material, so that all this," he motioned to the pseudo flesh glowing dimly, "was hidden, it'd be the perfect dress."  
"Oh shut up, it looks great. It's your wedding day, you have every right to be extra, regardless of what anyone thinks. Besides, I know you, ya nasty bitch. You're not gonna wait until the honeymoon, so you might as well tease your hubby." He teased lightheartedly, picking up the dresses that they had gone through and picked flaws from. "Anyway, out of every single one of these dresses, this one makes you look the best. Take my advice, get it."  
"I guess you're right." He admitted after taking one good long look into the mirror, observing the dress in all angles to make sure Lotus wasn't messing with him. "It does make me look fine."  
"Damn right it does. Hugs your body nicely and puts you on display just enough for Dust to be tempted to take you right at the altar, so it's perfect." Blue giggled at the hype Lotus provided and headed back in to undress from the gown.  
"Want me to pay for this so we can get out of here faster?"  
"Here!" He opened up the door once he got his magic disbanded and handed him both the dress and his wallet, not really caring that he was standing stark naked in front of his friend. "I better see it be charged on my card or I'm going to kill you." Lotus laughed and nodded, uselessly waving him off as he headed toward the woman that was helping them make their selections.  
"We'll be taking the last one." He carefully rested the dress on the counter and handed her Blue's credit card, watching her swipe it and hand it back to him while hanging the stack of rejected dresses back onto the rack behind her.  
"Sign here, please." Lotus turned back to find Blue already dressed, taking the dress of his choice off the counter to drape it over his arm.  
He came over and signed it off, receiving both the receipt and a protective bag to seal the dress in. "Thanks for all the help." The worker beamed their way, returning the gratitude with a simple 'you're welcome' and reminding them that they were welcome to come back if they saw the dress as unfit a few days later for either a return or an exchange. "So, are you buying anything from the next shop we're going to?"  
"What shop's next? I thought you said we were only going dress shopping?"  
"And I thought you knew me. I'm hurt, Lo."  
"Alright, don't get your panties in a twist. Where are we going? Seriously." Blue snickered as he pushed his friend's buttons, leading him to one of the more dimly lit shops.  
"Lingerie shopping." He answered simply, his smile dropping to a smirk as he looked to the young reaper. "You buying-"  
"No. Absolutely not." Lotus was just now giving Rurik a second chance to rekindle their relationship without focusing on the sex and his boyfriend was doing well. The last thing he wanted to do was to tempt the poor fool and have him swing back into his old unhealthy habits. He didn't need his second attempt to crash just as the first one had, really hoping to not have a repeat of last time. "I'll do it whenever it feels right, but not right now."  
"Come on, Lo~" Blue whined as he nudged him playfully. "I don't wanna go in there and buy just for myself. That's going to be so weird."   
"Stop being a little bitch and just do it." He hissed quietly as they walked into the store, Lotus's eyes scanning over the suggestive clothing choices the store offered. "You going for something cute or sexy?" He asked offhandedly as he started to browse through the selection.  
"I'll pick out what I want. You, my friend," Blue rested a hand on the young reaper's shoulders, Lotus looking to his friend to find him flashing simple black lacy bra paired with sheer black panties, "should invest in these."   
"Blue, I'm serious. I'm not buying that. Now put that back."  
"It's either this or those weird cat ear clip-on we saw coming in." Lotus rolled his eyes at his friend's stubbornness, listening to him laugh before glaring at him.  
"I'd rather buy the damn ears." He deadpanned. "Now quit being a tween and flaunting those around like a flag."  
"So be it." Lotus watched as he hung the lingerie set back wherever he found it and picked those up, flashing them to Lotus with a smug smile on his face as he placed it on the counter along with his things and started to talk to the lady ringing him up nonchalantly as if the obscene store was nothing but a supermarket for him. "I can't wait for Rurik to roast the hell out of you for picking just that over everything else this place has to offer." He laughed, handing him his bag.  
"A giant ass bag just for clip-on ears?" Lotus muttered to himself, the smaller skeleton peering inside to have his face flush a bright red at the sight of the plain black set Blue had shown him earlier and a robe that did everything but cover-up. "Blue, what the fuck?!"  
"Oh come on! She said it came with a deal! I had to buy them." As if the deal was a good enough reason to buy the whole set.  
"I'm returning this." He went to turn back, but Blue caught hold of his arm, the stern look on his face is a strange sight for Lotus to see. "Blue, I'm being dead-ass, now give me the damn receipt."  
"At least hang onto it." The other saw him open his mouth and immediately cut him off, knowing he'd say anything to get rid of it. "Listen. I know I see you once every blue moon, but Goth keeps me updated on your life, or at least whenever you call. I know the basic overview of the shit you went through because of him." Lotus bit back any argument he had after hearing him confess to knowing of the bumps in his relationship, or if he could even call what Rurik was doing with him a relationship, relieved that he knew only bits and pieces he let Goth know about. "It's a big jump for you to even look at the guy after everything he's done, let alone allowing him a chance to redeem himself. Hell, even I was pissed when I heard about everything, so I get why you're holding back," he paused and gave the young reaper a hopeful smile, squeezing his shoulder gently as the conversation shifted to one of a lighter tone, "but that doesn't mean he's going to be the same guy he was and I have a feeling you know this."

'Not everything. He doesn't know everything. He only knows what Goth told him.' His thoughts assured after hearing the word 'everything' leave him. 'He doesn't need to know everything.'

"Do you really think I'd give him the chance if he was the same guy as before?" Lotus asked bluntly as he clutched the bag tightly, not wanting to see the contents of it any more than he liked. He felt a vaguely familiar lump in his throat grow firmer as thoughts of their history resurfaced in response to what Blue had said to him, his sockets stinging as he made a conscious effort to restrain his tears.

'Now isn't the time. Now is definitely not the time for this bull to come right back up.'

Having more than enough experience, he easily forced that feeling back and took a deep breath, coming back to his usual demeanor toward the subject at hand.  
"Fine. I'll keep the dumb thing, but no way in hell am I putting it to use." He groaned exasperatedly as he turned away from the store. "Anything else you wanna grab or finalize?"  
"Nah. You're the kind of hype friend I need when buying clothes, so I saved you the honors. I asked Goth to take care of the flower arrangement and Palette the reception. One of Dust's buddies from the military, Cross, is handling food because he apparently has good taste, Fell wanted to be in charge of the after-party, so don't be surprised if you see a stripper pole or some crazy shit like that." Lotus cackled at the thought of there being one at the party.  
"Oh, this is gonna be good. Am I hearing that a fat stack of ones should be in my pockets?" He laughed, Blue snickering as he playfully shoved him aside.  
"More like Rurik's should. I'm gonna make you go up there, you know."  
"It'd be your funeral. As much as Rurik loves me, he'd kill you on the spot if he learned that you had a hand in getting me up on a stripper pole."  
"Fair enough. Speaking of which," he pulled out his phone and dialed his fiance's number, Lotus looking to his friend curiously, "hi hun. You bought your suit, yeah?" The young reaper chuckled at the subtle pout on his friend's face, who proceeded to mouth the word 'bullshit' to him as he listened to Dust playfully lie about how the tailor he wanted to go to was closed for the evening. He put the call on speaker and raised a finger to his lips, Lotus understanding immediately, and kept his mouth shut. "Shame. Lotus helped me pick out a really nice dress and even convinced me to get something a little extra for you, but I guess I'll return those and get a plain old suit-"  
"Wait! Wait! I got it! I got it! I was joking!" Blue's laughter elicited a sarcastic one from Dust when he realized the setup the other made. "Damn baby, you play too much," he murmured lowly, eliciting a soft hum from his partner, "by the way, we gotta drop Rurik and Lotus off by tonight. He's got a shift early in the morning tomorrow."  
"Aw, do we have to? I just now managed to get a hold of him after so long." Blue whined, turning to his friend with a pleading smile. "You don't have work tomorrow, do you?"  
"I have a night shift, but I don't think I can-" he wanted to decline the invitation, leaning more towards working on rebuilding his relationship with Rurik so what happened last time won't happen again, but found that Blue was more persistent than he remembered him to be.  
"Oh come on! Rurik has the early shift, not you. I'll drop you off by afternoon the next day."  
"But Rurik's got the morning shift, I-"  
"He'll be fine for the night. It's only one night after all!" Blue pushed the subject of a sleepover once more, Lotus still trying to find his way around it so he could go home and curl up with his boyfriend.

'One night can do a lot of damage...' His worrisome thoughts reminded, now really trying to find a way around this spontaneous sleepover idea.

"We can do it some other time, I swear, just not right-"  
"Lotus." The reaper froze at the sound of his boyfriend's voice, a sudden chill running down his spine at the tone he used. "Just stay the night, alright?" Lotus gave a muted nod at the command, falling back into his old habits of appeasing the other. The change in his demeanor didn't go unnoticed, Blue looking his friend over, worried about what happened to him. "Go drop Rurik off. Lo's sleeping over." Blue hung up the phone immediately after stating his demands, the lack of affection a clear sign that what just happened was not okay.  
"Lo, you alright? I didn't mean to upset you, I-"  
"Can we get out of here?" He asked suddenly, catching the other off guard momentarily before complying with his request instantaneously.  
"Yeah. Yeah, of course." He linked his arm with his and guided his zoned-out friend to where he had parked, setting the dress inside as carefully as he could before helping Lotus into the passenger seat.  
After the reaction he had witnessed from hearing Rurik's voice alone, he was definitely staying the night, no telling what could've happened to him had he gone home with him.


	11. Wearing kigurumis

"Go drop Rurik off. Lo's sleeping over."  
Dust blinked back at the sudden change in his fiancé's voice, looking to his phone to find that the line had abruptly been cut. Dating Blue for two years now, he knew the underlying message behind a call that had suddenly hung up. His fiancé was pissed and he had to figure out why quickly before the situation got out of his control. He tossed his phone into the cup holder, the song picking up from where it left off, and he continued driving. He started evaluating his recent conversation with Blue, picking apart what he said that could've had a negative connotation. At the end of it, he reached a consensus that it wasn't his doing that upset Blue and that Rurik was the reason the call got cut short. He did have to admit, Rurik's voice had suddenly gone stiff, sounding a lot more like he was commanding his boyfriend rather than giving permission to do so. With the possible problem sorted out, all he had left to do was find out what the hell Rurik thought he was accomplishing by using that tone of voice with him, especially with someone like Blue by his side.  
"Yo, you mind if we stop by your place real quick? I got this cute onesie for Lotus the other day that he could use as pajamas for the night." He explained before pulling it out of the bag he carried from the motel, showing it off. Dust paid little to no attention to the article of clothing Rurik displayed, more focused on how his voice had gone from dark and demanding to this casual light tone. "He's gonna love it. He loves fuzzy comfy shit like this." He added with a soft chuckle, leaving it folded up on his lap while he wrote him a note as best as he could in a moving car.  
"So wanna explain what that was, Roller?" He asked casually as he drove into his neighborhood, pulling up to find the driveway empty.  
"Whatchu mean? What's there to explain? It's an onesie." Dust left the car running, stepping out of the car as soon as Rurik got out of the passenger seat.  
"Not that. That tone you used." He clarified, unlocking the front door, and pushed it open to reveal their home to his old friend.  
"What tone?" He looked at his starry-eyed friend, the latter looking back as though he was delusional. "What tone did I use?"  
"Quit playin'. I'm being serious about this," he waited for him to set the gifted clothing down and turned to face him, just as lost as he was when he first posed the question, "that low sinister voice?" It didn't register to the younger skeleton, Dust continuing as he tried to understand how the hell he used it but didn't remember it at all, "kinda creepy, serial killer-ish?" Seeing that it still rang no bells to the younger of the two, he stopped beating it around the bush, "you demanded Lotus should stay over and I wanna know why."  
"I didn't demand," he insisted as he set the clothes down and followed Dust back over to his car, "I told him he could."  
"No, not really. You said his name and said stay like he's some kind of dog waiting for your command." Rurik blinked as he took in his words, leaning into the seat as he tried to recall, and watched the dread in his eyes as he came to the realization of what he had done.  
"Oh no..." He muttered. Another mistake. He made yet another mistake on his path of redemption. "Can you call him back? My phone died otherwise-"  
"Knowing Blue, he won't pick up the phone. And if he really is more upset than he sounded, he's gonna make sure Lotus doesn't pick up either." Blue never made an effort to attend his phone when he was even mildly upset, having a bit of flair for the dramatic by demanding an in-person apology and delivering such when others are upset with him. "You're going to have to apologize for face to face."  
"Then turn back!" Dust shook his head, already disbanding the idea, but Rurik had other plans, "I'll wait for him and-"  
"Blue's not gonna let you get close to him. You heard his voice. He's gone full momma bear, leaving you with the option of putting off what you have planned to apologize with until Lotus gets home."  
"Why's Blue gotta act so fuckin' overdramatic?" He huffed as he stared out the window, missing the ex-soldier's clearly ticked-off expression as his mind clouded with horrible ideas of what Lotus could be thinking about him.  
"Why you gotta be so fuckin' stupid and say it like that in the first place?" Rurik's gaze jolted over to his friend's, raising his hands up in a surrendering stance. "That's what I fuckin' thought."  
"I didn't mean it like that. I'm just..." he gave up on his words and reclined into the seat, prepared for the silent three-hour drive back to his hometown.  
"Just what?" It was clearly evident that Dust wasn't ready to nonchalantly put this aside and the silence he got in return was worrisome for the older skeleton. "Come on, Rurik. You only used the wrong tone. Don't lose your shit over something like this."  
"How am I supposed to not lose my shit over this? I fucked up dude. I fucked up big time. I've been walking on thin fucking ice and it's always cracking under my feet no matter what I do, so how am I supposed to not flip shit over that?" Dust rolled his eyes, passing his words off as an overdramatic outburst until he continued. "I don't know what I'm doing, Dust. I love him, I really do, but I always feel like I'm screwing something up every single time."  
"Relax. Can't be that bad."  
"It can if this is my second chance. I already fucked up once and Lotus kicked me to the curb because of it. It took everything I had to get him to give me a second chance and even then, I almost fought some guy on our first date because they spilled some shit, pretty sure there was something in my drink because I almost fucked some chick at the party last night, and now this," Dust let out a heavy sigh at the mention of those mistakes his friend made, making a note on the side to talk to Blue about who the bartender there was, and looked to Rurik once he stopped at a red light, "how the hell am I gonna apologize for that? Just walk up to him like, 'hey, babe. Sorry that I almost turned into the monster I used to be. It won't happen again' and he'll take it just like that?" Once he made that sarcastic remark, he fell silent, Dust using this as a chance to speak up before his friend could say anything else on the matter.  
"Alright, 'ey, relax. Nothing's happened yet, yeah?"  
"I don't know..." his voice trailed off and found Dust holding his phone out to him.  
"Check, idiot. Log me out and look through your shit," Rurik did as told, scrolling through both his messages and social media, "Lotus say anything?"  
"No..." Despite his voice trailing off, he could hear the relief in his voice, which roused Dust's next question.  
"Any negative posts?" Dust's question was met with the same negating answer from before and the older of the two laughed. "Then quit worrying so much. Means he's giving you a chance."  
"You don't know Lotus. He doesn't post much, so his silence says a lot more than you think," the younger said with a nervous chuckle, now clinging to his friend's words in hopes that that was the truth behind his partner's silence.  
"But he's with Blue, who most definitely would tell him to vent via a post. Look, trust me on this one. It's when they blow up do you have to start worrying. Silence means you have a chance to redeem yourself. If he's had enough, he would've probably said it. If he kicked you to the curb once, you think he'd hesitate to do it again if you really did screw up?" Rurik opened his mouth in an attempt to fight his logic but found himself closing it, once again opening it up only to leave it slightly ajar as he thought about how nonsensical his retort sounded. As difficult as it was to accept, Dust was right. If Lotus saw this as a screw-up big enough to jeopardize his attempts at solidifying their relationship, then he would've made sure to mention that by now. Instead of focusing on the wrong he's done, his thoughts shifted and now actively tried to come up with a few ways that he could apologize for the slip-up and redeem himself. "Exactly. All you gotta do is figure out a way to make it up to him." The older assured with confidence.  
"And how am I going to do that for something like that?"  
"All you did was use a bad tone on him. Just say sorry and buy him a little something," he caught sight of the incredulous look on his face and pinched his nasal bone with a heavy sigh, "what kind of hole did you dig yourself into?"  
"A very deep one that could either get deeper or more shallow depending on how I do this," he answered as he fell back into the seat, "I put myself in this and there's no way I'm getting out after that."  
"Alright. Clearly, I missed out on more than I thought. I'm not going to ask you to explain yourself, but I do want answers so that I could help you out. Got it?" With a nod, Dust started off the list of things he thought would have occurred to end a relationship on the more mild side, "you cheated?"  
"Is it cheating if we weren't really together?"  
"Wait, you weren't with him?" A firm head shake confirmed it, Dust now staring at his friend ludicrously. He knew very well that he wasn't intending on prying, but he was beyond confused now, "then why the hell were you always going on and on about him whenever you got back?"  
"That didn't mean he knew." That sent Dust into a spiral about what his friend could've possibly meant by that.  
"That's who you're supposed to do it in front of, jackass!" The sudden volume surprised Rurik, his response taking on a similar tone that the older had used.  
"Well, how the hell was I supposed to know that?!"  
"It's common fuckin' sense, Rurik! You don't have to be told that!"  
"Well, obviously not to me! In case you forgot, love isn't something I grew up with. I found my ass in boot camp the first time I told my parents I had a crush."  
'Huh, explains why he was the youngest recruit the force's ever seen.' Dust thought before continuing the conversation.  
"He's someone you had completely legitimate feelings for and he didn't even know that you did. How long you played him like that for?" The silence that followed wasn't a pleasant one, Dust reiterating the question to gauge just how deep this hole was only to hear that silence now be accompanied by a near quiet murmur. "Speak up Rurik. How long?" He asked once more, sounding as though he was at his wit's end.  
"Three years, dammit!"  
"Holy shit..." he said nothing more on the matter, letting the information settle before posing the next question, "Was that all?" The shake of his head forced him to stifle a groan, now venturing to the next thing that came to mind when trying to figure this out, "abuse?" A wordless nod followed, already earning a heavy sigh from the driver, "physical, emotional, sexual? What'd you do?" Yet another wordless nod by Rurik, leaving Dust face palming as he realized that it meant all three had occurred sometime during their first attempt at a relationship. "Damnit Rurik. Don't tell me you did this on your own free will?"  
"I didn't," that gave the older some relief, only to snatch it away by the words that followed, "I wasn't the best at coping with big news..."  
"Dude-" Rurik cut him off prematurely, not wanting to hear whatever he had to say about what he assumed he had done in the past.  
"Now you get why I'm freaking out? He forgave me, after all, that and I promised I'd fix myself for what? So I could go back on my promise and screw up the one good thing that's ever gonna happen to a screw-up like me?" The younger one pulled the seat back a little and reclined it so he could lie back and mope. "I'm so fucked..."  
"Not yet you're not," Dust didn't wait to hear him ask what he meant and watched him take an exit far earlier than they needed to, "you said you love him, right?"  
"Yeah." After saying all that he had to say, it'd be ridiculous to even assume that the question needed to be asked.  
"And that you'd do anything for him?"  
"Yeah." He answered that one a second faster than the first answer. He would go through hell and back for him, and that was more than enough for the older to continue driving.  
"Then we're gonna test that and make this shit right. So quit your moping and listen, listen well. The first thing you're going to do is apologize. Bring up all the shit that you did, put it all on the table, and apologize for each and every single thing you did to him, that means this little incident right here too. If you're still thinking about it, chances are he is too. So don't brush that under the carpet. Own up and apologize. Then you're gonna promise him, swear on your life that it won't happen again and you're going to work on keeping that shit together. Doesn't matter if you gotta go to therapy-"  
"I have been. It's been a good year now." He interrupted suddenly, Dust relieved that his friend seemed to have half the mind to do so.  
"Good. Keep going until you have your shit together."  
"Planned on it."  
"Alright, since that's settled, now the grand gesture." Rurik looked out the window, trying to figure out where they were heading to get this 'grand gesture'.  
"I'm guessing that's where we're heading?"   
"Damn right we are. You make sure you do all this then you won't have to feel like you're walking on eggshells anymore."  
Rurik made no attempt to fight the older on this, seeing as he was fairly convinced that his plan would work or, at the very least, completely clear his consciousness enough to gauge where Lotus was at in terms of forgiving him. At least being with him meant that he must've forgiven him for one of the many things he had done wrong...


	12. Making out

"This one's me," Lotus sighed, more than happy to finally be home, and waited for Blue to park the car so that he could step out, "you didn't have to drive me back, y'know."

"You had to get your dad to teleport you back," he reminded only to catch Lotus rolling his eyes, rolling his own in response. "No way in hell was I going to let you go home on your own, especially not after what-"

"Blue." Lotus interrupted, effectively halting him from finishing that thought before turning to face him. "I vented to you because I was panicking and you kept asking. I don't-"

"Lo, I'm sorry. You can hate me all you want, but I'm not letting him walk into your life again, especially not after he didn't do a single thing to acknowledge the huge dick he's been." Blue cut the young reaper off, slamming the car door shut behind him and walking up to his friend's side.

"Because I told him not-" Lotus didn't get a chance to finish the thought, Blue shaking his head as he guided him to the door.

"Doesn't matter. No doesn't mean no for something as big as this and you sure as hell don't have to take it. Now, you go ahead and go straight to bed. I'll get you some food and bring it to ya."

"Blue, you don't have to do all that," Lotus huffed as he rifled into the bag Blue gave him for the black dress he wore the other night.

"Well, I'm going to. Just you... watch me..." Blue's voice trailed off, the reaper thinking nothing of it until he fell quiet for far too long.

"Blue? What's wrong?" He slammed the door shut behind him as he prepared himself for the worst, whether that meant the taller had indulged in alcohol or a trail of someone else's clothes littered the house. "What'd the idiot do... now?" Out of all the scenarios he pictured, Lotus didn't know what to think when he met with the sight of flower petals leading him to the back door. "What the hell..." he muttered as he attempted to follow it, Blue halting his progress as he eyed the set up suspiciously, "Blue, lemme see what's up."

"I swear this has to be some dumb shit, Lo. You're going to go to bed and-" the sound of the back door sliding shut echoed throughout the house, Blue looking in that direction while shielding his friend only to find his fiancé making his way to the front of the house, "Dust?"

"Ah, mi amor~" he cooed, making his way to hug the smaller only to watch him take a step back and stare at him in askance. "I'll explain everything. Just let Lotus-"

"I'm not letting my friend near anyone like him." He spat with absolute malice only to watch his words go ignored as Dust looked to the young reaper.

"Go 'round back and-" the taller's gaze fell onto his fiancé as he once again stated that Lotus was to remain inside the house, regardless of what's been set up for him outside, and frowned lightly, hoisting the blue skeleton into his arms, "he'll be out there. I'll take care of this one." Blue's eyes widen at his words, clearly annoyed by his implication.

"Take care of me?! Who the hell do you-"

Lotus paid his overprotective friend no mind as he stepped out the house, closing the door behind him to avoid Blue's potential wrath and circling around to come across the back door. His hand immediately flew to the handle, close to pulling the door open when he recounted his friend's words.

'Was I really too lenient on this second chance? Maybe I really should've gotten him to apologize for everything before giving him a shot at redemption.' The reaper thought as he finally pulled on the handle, the wooden door creaking open but the sound hardly halting the taller's mumbling, Lotus following the noise until he spotted the scene he should've stumbled upon had Blue not stopped him.

The trail of petals he was expected to follow lead to a table covered with a pristine white table cloth, a soft glow coming from beneath, with candles set and lit in between the two covered plates. If that wasn't enough, the sight of his boyfriend dressed incredibly well left the smaller blushing, his presence undetected as he watched him pace too and fro with some papers in hand.

"Ru, what's all this for?" The reaper masked his amusement for both the setup and his boyfriend's dressed-up appearance, snickering as his quick stride was brought to an abrupt hold so that he could attempt to hide the papers behind himself, poorly done considering the smaller had already caught onto its presence.

"Heard it was a tough day at work. A guy can't even do this much?" The retired soldier chuckled as he pulled the chair out.

"If the guy's you, I expected a half-drunk beer and a BLT at best." Lotus laughed as he accepted the offered seat.

"Ouch. I can't even try for you?" Lotus snickered and shook his head playfully as he looked at the covered meal, Rurik one step ahead and pulled it off to reveal an impressive meal that had the young reaper's mouth-watering with the smell alone. "Spaghetti carbonara. Thought you might like it a little more than a BLT."

"And you managed to not burn the kitchen down?" He asked playfully as the star-eyed skeleton stole the seat across from him.

"I've gotta have some secret talents." He chuckled at the sight of his partner rolling his eyes. "What?"

"I don't believe it for a damn second," he laughed as he lifted the fork neatly placed beside the plate, "Dust made this."

"He didn't." That answer caused the smaller to raise a bone brow, "I'm serious, he didn't touch anything." Seeing that he still wasn't convinced, he raised his hands to surrender, "he kept an eye on it, but I cooked it and everything." That did the trick, Lotus dropping the skeptical look he donned in favor of examining the plate set in front of him. The mere fact that the taller went through all the trouble of not burning the meal put a smile on the exhausted reaper's face, looking up to find him seated across from him and staring intently as he waited for him to take a bite.

Lotus, wanting to humor the taller, took a bite, pleasantly surprised to not be hit with the taste of burnt pasta immediately. To have created this masterpiece, it wasn't hard for the smaller to realize there was more to tonight than this dinner, the papers that were in his partner's hands earlier drawing his attention, "alright, now spill. What's this all about?"

"I can't even do this unless there's a reason?" Rurik humored, the smaller's neutral expression and raised bone brow stating otherwise, and produced the papers he spotted him reading over and over, "here."

"What's..." his voice trailed off when he read past the introductory paragraph, now reading the countless offenses Rurik had done in the past, from something as minor as ignoring him to the serious physical torture he put him through. It was all there, documented with multiple timestamps, and Lotus felt his nonexistent stomach churn as he recounted each sickening memory vividly. "Rurik... what's this?"

"I know you know," he answered dejectedly, as ashamed as the other was worried, "I want to give you a formal apology for all this, everything I put you through, and issue you a promise, give you my word that none of this will ever happen again."

"I told you already... I didn't need this... I don't need any of this..." Lotus grumbled, desperately trying to hide the shudder that shot up his spine at the memories that resurfaced, "this is why you've been so damn soft with me?" The solemn nod that followed his question didn't do anything but bring about another reason to upset the smaller.

"I know you said you didn't need this and I believe you, but I do," that caught the young reaper's attention, looking to his boyfriend to find that his gaze was trained on the covered meal sitting in front of him, "it's been eating me up that you forgave me immediately with so much as an apology from me. I never cleared any of this up and that's unacceptable."

"Weird that you need one now when you never needed one before," came his only remark, the reaper trying to dismiss this conversation before he recounted too much for his own good. He said he was giving him a chance at starting over, unable to comprehend why he was trying so damn hard to mend the mistakes that he never held against him.

"I have no excuse for my actions. I was too big-headed for my own good and I abused your love to a terrible extent." It surprised Lotus to hear that the blame wasn't assigned to anyone but him, giving him the impression that this really was wreaking havoc on his boyfriend's mind. "It's why I want to apologize formally, signatures and all. I need you. But I couldn't go back, not until I bettered myself, made myself someone worthy of you."

That realization didn't stop him from blowing it off, instead giving him more reason to forgive the taller so they could move on from this point. "It's acceptable for us. I'm alive and that's more than what I can say for anyone that's had a rough relationship like ours."

"You call this," he gestured to the long list of offenses almost appalled, "all this just a rough relationship?"

"With the things I've seen... I got the better-"

The taller hardly gave him the chance to finish that thought, "no, Lotus, no. I don't want to know that there are people out there that are worse than me. I already know that. With the shit I've seen," he paused momentarily as he too recounted the memories that now haunted him, "I should've protected you-"

"Don't sell me short. I could've left at any time," the young reaper reminded sternly as he casted the papers aside as an attempt to disband this portion of the conversation.

"I barely gave you a chance to."

"You forget who my father is. Had you done more than I can handle, I could've-" that line of thought was put to rest moments before he could remind him of just what he was capable of.

"We both know you can't reap a soul before its due, there being severe consequences if you of all people do so, so don't even start trying to claim that you could've killed me."

"I would've been counting on it if it got bad enough." The silence that followed was unnerving to say the least, Lotus risking a glance to find that it was now the taller who was at a loss for words. He didin't wait for any further comment to be made, taking his silence as enough of a response, and rose to his feet, "I'm tired, Rurik. Tired from the long shift at work and tired of having this shit follow me, follow us, around. I'm still alive and you haven't snapped back. Isn't that enough?"

"But it doesn't look that way. When others hear we're back together... they don't see any of-"

"Fuck them!" The words laced with fury flew right out of the smaller's mouth without an ounce of hesitation, Rurik meeting his gaze only to find it tinged with pain, the vexation towards the conversation that they continued to dwell on clearly evident, "you wanted another shot! You told me you wanted to start over! And I believed you! I gave you that chance! You never cared before, why care now?!" Each shout accompanied another step in Rurik's direction, rounding the table to stand no more than a few inches away.

Rurik hardly stopped him, his gaze lowered and posture stiffening as Lotus stood before him, his frustration ebbing. Instead of following his expectation, he took hold of the other's face and tilted it up, the corners of his mouth dipping further down as Rurik kept his eyes trained elsewhere.

"Rurik..." Lotus's voice soft as he called out for him, yet not enough to stare into those starry eyes of his.

If he couldn't physically have that eye contact he desired, all the smaller could do was coax him into meeting his gaze. The scarved skeleton closed the minimal distance between them, kissing him as though the conversation they were having was nothing but a mindless squabble. His grip on the taller's skull tightened in fear that he'd back out of the intimate gesture, but, despite the heavy conversation and his own firm emotions on the matter, Rurik too cast them aside for now in favor of responding just as he always had, his 'lips' moving in sync with Lotus's. The star eyes skeleton willed his twined hands to split at the sensation of his lover's hands falling lax, trailing them down his sides and coming to a stop at his pelvis. With a gentle tug at his waist, Lotus pulled away with a quiet huff, seemingly disappointed that their sweet time together was cut so short and allowing himself to be dragged into his lap before meeting his 'lips' once more in such a feverish desire. Rurik's hands, as rough as they may be, felt soothing as they innocently traveled along his clothed body to linger over certain soft spots, feeling him smirking into the kiss when each dip elicited a muffled moan that would reverberate in his mind. Lotus clung to the taller as he melted under his innocent touch, aware of where his hands had trailed off to when he felt one take hold of his chin, the other still holding him by his waist. Both pulled away with a silent pant and the smile Lotus almost donned dropped at the sight of his Rurik's eyes still shut, "you're changing. You and I both know you are," the reaper reminded with a whisper, clearly pointing out the fact that he hadn't let the kiss segue to something far more intimate. It was then did the taller open his eyes and greet the smaller's, the frown still present yet the anger and frustration that it seemed to cling to was no longer visible, "it doesn't matter if the world doesn't see it. I can see it and I know you'll prove them wrong. Is that... Is that really not enough for you?"

"It is," came his immediate response, sitting up straight so he could hold him closer, "it's more than enough-"

"Then prove it."

Rurik looked to his boyfriend with an expression that Lotus didn't think he'd ever see, desperation. "How?"

Lotus didn't have to think twice about the answer. He knew there was one way to prove to both the taller and himself that he's really trying, that there was going to be no repeat of anything mentioned on that cursed list of offenses that rested. His grip on the taller's skull tightened noticeably, his russet starry eyes watching his calculated moves carefully. The scarved skeleton leaned forward, his own eye flicking from the gaze it was locked in with to the mouth his own mouth ghosted over as if silently begging for him to lead him into another kiss as innocent yet heated as the one they shared moments ago. He wanted Rurik to put the control he had learned on display, prove that the taller knew boundaries existed and when he's crossed them despite whatever he says.

"However you see fit."


	13. Eating ice cream

Rurik saw Lotus's suggestion as a gamble, though that didn't stop him from taking him up on it. The taller was almost certain Lotus was set on proving the doubt he allowed to loom so dangerously over their fragile relationship was unnecessary, and damn was he going to make the most of it. He had plans to propose his promise and secure it with a ring, giving his beloved the power to end their relationship without having to say a single word, but everything he and Dust planned had gone awry the second he mentioned his past offenses. He had severely misjudged his reaction to the list, prepared himself for the wrong questions, and lost his train of thought after such an enticing kiss.  
"However I'd like?" He reiterated carefully only to feel his breath hover over his own mouth, the hands that hooked onto the underside of his jaw grow stronger.  
"Yes," came his breathless sigh, Rurik purring lightly at the ideas that immediately came to mind.  
It took him a few minutes to beat down the more inappropriate ones, leaving the three that were far more innocent to toy with. He opened his mouth to ask, feeling a finger rest over it before catching onto the frown Lotus wore.  
"Don't you dare try to ask me for what's okay and what isn't."  
"Stars, you really meant anything then," Rurik chuckled at the firm nod, pressing a small kiss to the finger before taking hold of the tired reaper's chin. Slowly, the retired soldier pulled his face close, allowing their warm breath to mingle in anticipation, "you're sure?" His mouth quirked in a smirk when he sensed irritation in his stiff posture.  
Lotus glowered at the question, his gaze shifting from that infamous smirk that he yearned to feel to the russet stars that made up his boyfriend's eyes, a tinge of relief amidst his displeasure, "the fuck did I say about asking?"  
"The fuck did I say about demanding?" The soldier grinned at the minute surprise that overcame him when hearing his words be mirrored.  
"That I wouldn't have to if you'd man up," the starry eyes of his partner twitched before narrowing, as if ready to throw caution in the wind, and the reaper couldn't be happier with how his keen words had effectively sliced through his patience.  
"How's this for manning up?~" the smug smile hardly receded, only growing stronger as he pulled him closer, letting their 'lips' touch for a brief moment before forcing the smaller to pull back an iota to watch the eyes that fluttered shut snap open. Other than the obvious agitation that lingered in his single eye, Rurik picked up on something else.  
Desperation.  
He was cautiously picking up the pieces of his old self and that's what the smaller seemed to want, almost as if he craved it, and the taller was in no mood to deny his boyfriend's wishes.  
"How the hell was that manning up?" Despite the sharpness of his words, the taller saw straight through the tough facade, catching onto how close he was to pouting about such a short-lived tease.  
"I'm calling the shots, aren't I?~" he chuckled at the deep red that seeped into his cheeks and delivered another kiss, one far shorter than the last, "this is what you wanted, isn't it?" He asked, craning the smaller's head slightly so the notes of affection could be effortlessly peppered along his jaw down to his collarbone, "the old me minus the asshole?~" he cooed into the bone, utilizing his husky tone to obtain the trembling reaction he desired.  
"You're still an ass," he muttered, those words losing all meaning due to how breathless he seemed by his ministrations.  
"Then you know what I need to hear to give you what you want," a terse chuckle followed the whine Lotus emitted, "you know I won't until I hear it."  
Stars, did he miss teasing and building the smaller up this way, watching him cave when it became too much, and, judging by Lotus's heavily flushed face and heated bones, it seemed to him that he craved this side of him. The smaller had been right, to hell what the others keep saying. Snide remarks with no bite, displays of affection that got a little too risqué, small spats that should and will mean absolutely nothing since they'd make up and return to each other when night came. It wasn't normal, far from the definition of an explanation that Dust gave him, but it was theirs.  
And damn, did he want that.  
"... please..."  
"Please what? Use your words, cupcake~" he purred as he let his free hand careen down, wrapping it around his waist and pulling him flush against himself.  
"K-Kiss me," he panted quietly, the taller's smug smile widening having the smaller realize his mistake, "h-here please," he pointed to his mouth, Rurik chuckling at how flustered he had become.  
"Well, if you insist," he hummed against the sensitive bone before retreating from the crook of his neck he situated himself in.  
Rurik barely had to lean forward to have their 'lips' meet, a flurry of passion and relief stirring in his little reaper as he returned the kiss ardently. It was as though they were rediscovering an old song, recounting the rhythm and flow as they moved in sync, mutually pulling away to allow their heated breaths to mingle with one another while greedily gulping the cool night air.  
"Like that?" Lotus rolled his eye and rested his head on the other's chest, smacking the sturdy set of bones with barely any strength to hear his rich laughter bubble out.  
"Y-Yeah. L-Like that," he stammered, mindlessly trailing his fingers along the crisp dress shirt his boyfriend wore, "there... there wasn't anything else, right?" He asked quietly, hoping that there really wasn't anything the taller felt the need to readdress.  
"There was one more thing," Lotus leaned back, resting his head on the other's shoulder as he looked to him curiously, "wanna grab some of that ice cream from that place you like for dessert?"  
"You're such a headass," the smaller chuckled, feeling Rurik's shoulder shake with mirth as he snickered quietly, "I'm going to have to pass actually. I'm really tired and I'd rather sleep in our bed than the car."  
"Who said anything about going?" He inquired jokingly, delivering a light peck before hoisting him up into his arms.  
Lotus's adorable habit of squeaking in surprise had yet to disappear, the taller laughing as he carried him back into the house. He made sure to keep his strides calm, to avoid giving off the impression that he had some sort of ill intention, the thought unnecessary since the skeleton in his arms seemed content, nuzzling into his hold as he brought them over to the kitchen. Rurik set the smaller down on the marble countertop, the swift kiss to the cheek before they parted helping the young reaper realize that they hadn't gone upstairs yet, blinking in surprise and trying to sneak a peek at what his boyfriend was up to as he rummaged through the freezer.  
"God, Ru. If this is about me doubting your culinary skills, I promise I believe you," he laughed only to watch him produce a small pint of ice cream.  
"No, ya goof. I told you we didn't have to go anywhere." He pulled open one of the drawers to produce a spoon, popping the lid off and offering Lotus the first spoonful.  
"Don't I feel special?" He chuckled as he accepted the offered bite, Rurik laughing as he had a spoonful himself.  
"You should. After all," he scooped up some more and raised the spoon to his 'lips', "you got a monster as blind as me to see."  
"If you insist. Plus," he grabbed a fistful of his shirt and brought him close, giving him a short peck before his smile softened, "you did a lot to make this work again."  
"How could I not? You're one of a kind, cupcake." He mused as he offered another spoonful, the small gesture the reaper made assuring him that it was the last.  
"Got you hooked then, huh?"  
"Like you wouldn't believe," he set the pint back in the freezer, "you head up. I've gotta clean up after that dinner."  
"Like hell am I heading to bed without you. Either I'm helping or I'm waiting for you." He crossed his arms, visibly pouting at the idea of turning in while the taller stayed up.  
Unfortunately, he knew that look well, a little too well, and chuckled as he raised his hands to surrender, "alright, alright. Let me bring the shit inside and we can head up." That promise was enough to placate the exhausted reaper, letting him retreat to the backyard to collect the dishes that littered the table.  
The starry-eyed skeleton stepped out, taking hold of the plates that had gone ignored. Despite the tremendous effort he put in creating the best atmosphere for such a serious conversation, he was more than satisfied with the sudden turn of events. He asked for his forgiveness and got his answer that in turn became another source for him to draw strength from.  
Honestly, what more could he ask for?  
Rurik returned to the kitchen to find Lotus still situated on the counter he set him on, the smaller watching his every move with a tired gaze. Instead of dishing out the leftovers and packing it away, the taller scrapped them back into the saucepan before tucking it away in the fridge.  
"Upstairs?" The reaper asked, a small yawn following his words as he reached out for the retired soldier, clenching and unclenching his fists to silently ask to return to his hold.  
"This is about the only demanding I'll tolerate," he scoffed playfully as he pulled him into his arms.  
The reaper chuckled as he leaned into his hold, "lucky me, huh?"  
"Yeah," the taller returned with a laugh as they reached the second floor. Rurik set his boyfriend down in attempts to undress only to feel the smaller's hands pull him close and start removing the extra articles of clothing himself, dragging him into bed the second his skilled hands managed to get him in just his boxers, "lucky me," he chuckled, mimicking the same gentle motions as he relieved the reaper from the stench of death that seemed to linger, those clothes joining his own that decorated the floor. It took Lotus no time to cling to the taller's side, Rurik wrapping an arm around his small frame to rub comforting circles into his back, massaging his shoulder carefully when he heard a string of incoherent mumbles rumble against his bare-bones, "mind repeatin' that, sweetheart?" The playful call out paired with the gentle motion,  
He barely made any effort to pull away from the spot he buried his face into, only reiterating his statement loud enough to be heard, "I like you better when you're you."  
Rurik chuckled at the notion, "I'll make sure to stay that way."


End file.
